ARF: Bahlil's Dual Role Clarifies Coordination and Accelerates Downstreaming Execution
The Secretary for Economic Policy of the Golkar Party DPP, Abdul Rahman Farisi (ARF), believes that the appointment of Bahlil Lahadalia as the Coordinating Minister for Downstreaming and Energy Transition, alongside his role as the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), should be viewed within the framework of accelerating downstreaming and the energy transition.
According to Abdul Rahman, this mandate can be understood as part of President Prabowo Subianto’s consideration to strengthen coordination while simultaneously accelerating the execution of the energy independence and sovereignty agenda.
“I see Bahlil’s dual role as a reflection of the President’s consideration to accelerate downstreaming and the energy transition to realise the President’s vision of energy independence and sovereignty,” Abdul Rahman stated in Jakarta on Saturday (3/10).
Abdul Rahman believes that although the execution of energy sector policies largely falls under the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the downstreaming agenda has broad intersections with the duties and functions of other ministries and agencies.
“The speed of execution by Mr Bahlil in the ESDM sector still requires cross-ministerial coordination and synergy, as there are overlaps with the duties and functions of other ministries and institutions. I believe the presence of this Coordinating Ministry can actually clarify the coordination chain as well as policy execution,” he said.
According to Abdul Rahman, the scale of the downstreaming agenda also demonstrates the importance of cross-sectoral coordination. The government previously prepared 18 priority downstreaming projects with an investment value of approximately US$38.63 billion or Rp618.13 trillion. These projects cover not only minerals and coal but also energy transition and resilience, agriculture, as well as marine and fisheries.
“The scale is large and the sectors are broad. Therefore, I see a fast and precise coordination and execution chain becoming increasingly relevant, especially when facing various obstacles arising from global dynamics and volatility, as well as administrative issues across ministries and agencies,” said Abdul Rahman.
Furthermore, he assessed that the Coordinating Minister position effectively formalises Bahlil’s previous position, having been given a presidential mandate as the Head of the Downstreaming Task Force.
The new mandate also provides continuity with Bahlil’s previous role in overseeing the downstreaming agenda. In his view, the formation of the Coordinating Ministry provides space for stronger coordination at the government level.
Abdul Rahman stated that this perspective also addresses criticisms from several observers who questioned the effectiveness of Bahlil’s dual role.
“I see it rather as a framework to clarify the coordination and execution chain. With the mandate given by the President, the coordination of downstreaming and energy policies, as well as their execution, can be more consolidated under Mr Bahlil’s leadership,” he concluded.