IBRA chief's replacement

IBRA chief's replacement

In the middle of the present poor national economic conditions, the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) faces really onerous challenges. The repeated replacement of the money- making institution's top officials over the last four years is felt to have been based on political considerations rather than professionalism. Imagine that in the four years of this agency's existence, the IBRA chief has been replaced six times.

The last chairman, I Putu Gede Ary Suta, who was in office for about a year, finally had to step down. Putu has been replaced by Syafruddin Temenggung, who will take up his duties this week.

Both Putu and Syafruddin are believed to satisfy the leadership criteria as regards knowledge, expertise and ability. One issue that continues to be a problem is the absence of a clear and direct vision on the part of IBRA.

Besides this issue, which is relatively easy to solve, it is also recognized that IBRA has often frequently become the target of certain forces or groups. This is because its function as a money-making machine will end in 2004, which, coincidentally, is also the year of a general election.

It's time that IBRA was removed from political intervention. Anyway. At the moment, whoever holds the position of IBRA chief occupies a hot seat from which can be dethroned at any time due to the various forces at work.

-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta