Bakom Chief Qodari Speaks Out on SOE Commissioners

Head of the Government Communication Body (Bakom) Muhammad Qodari has stated that the selection of state-owned enterprise (SOE) commissioners from different backgrounds brings new perspectives in efforts to safeguard the government’s agenda. Speaking after opening the Nusantara Media Fest 2026 in Jakarta on Saturday, Qodari shared that from his own experience as a commissioner of an SOE, the commissioner’s role is important for providing direction while overseeing the government’s agenda. “And speaking of my experience at Pertamina Hulu Energi, we can also help to look at alternative solutions. Because we come from different backgrounds, we come from outside, there is actually a new perspective that can be brought into the company where we serve as commissioners,” Qodari said. The statement was in response to the issue of commissioner appointments at several SOEs that have become a topic of public discussion, including the selection of Raffi Ahmad’s personal assistant, Mufi Budi Ananda, as commissioner of PT Krakatau Posco, and Gina Febriyanti Ginting, a volunteer for Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka during the 2024 Presidential Election, as commissioner of PT Pertamina Retail. Qodari said that the selection of commissioners for a company is a normal practice, not only in SOEs but also in private corporations. Their presence benefits an SOE in carrying out supervision and providing ideas and concepts. “In my opinion, the basic capital for a commissioner is essentially two things. First, common sense, and second, good intentions,” he said. He added that those placed as commissioners usually already have experience in organisations, government, or the private sector, which then provides a new perspective in their supervisory duties at an SOE. Previously, House Speaker Puan Maharani stated that the DPR continues to encourage SOE commissioner appointments to be filled by professional and competent individuals, in a statement at the parliamentary complex in Senayan on Thursday (2/7). SOE commissioner positions are currently filled by many deputy ministers from the Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Cabinet, civil servant officials, politicians, volunteers, and individuals close to party elites.