Boediono prepares 'guideline' for next minister

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Minister of Finance Boediono, whose term will end on Oct. 20, said on Friday he would start drawing up a sort of 'guideline' letter for his successor, as supporting data on what tasks have been accomplished, and what have not.

The "memorandum", as Boediono called it, would serve as a starting point for the next finance minister under president- elect Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to work on.

"I'll draw up a comprehensive memorandum detailing things that we have accomplished and those that need to be followed up," he told reporters.

Boediono did not share the details.

It was unclear whether his remarks were signals that he would refuse offers, if any, from Susilo to take up the position for five more years.

Boediono is seen as one of the brightest stars in the current Cabinet of President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

In the past years, he has managed to consolidate the country's fiscal balance from a near-collapse situation when he first took the job in 1999, a legacy of the devastating effects of the economic crisis two years before.

Declining trend in state budget deficit and debt-to-GDP ratio are among the result of his work.

Against such a backdrop, rumors have it that Boediono has a fairly strong chance of taking up the job again under Susilo, although it has never officially been confirmed.

Boediono has also been tightlipped over the matter.