New chiefs installed at two state banks

New chiefs installed at two state banks

JAKARTA (JP): The government's appointment of Widigdo Sukarman
to head the state-owned Bank Negara Indonesia 1946 (BNI) will not
hinder the bank's plan to go public, Minister of Finance Mar'ie
Muhammad said yesterday.

"The plan (to go public) will go ahead," Mar'ie said after
formally inducting Widigdo, former president of state-owned Bank
Tabungan Negara (BTN), as BNI's president, replacing Winarto
Sumarto.

The government has announced that it will privatize BNI on
local capital markets this year, along with state-owned PT
Krakatau Steel and toll-road operator PT Jasa Marga. The last two
will also be offered on overseas markets.

"Please, do not have a negative perception about Pak Winarto.
His performance was good. However, his health does not allow him
to lead BNI. If he was forced to continue leading the bank, it
would not have been good for either himself or the bank," Mar'ie
said.

A few months ago, Winarto was reportedly hospitalized at Lippo
Karawachi's hospital in Tangerang, West Java, suffering from a
stroke.

Mar'ie explained yesterday that the appointment of Widigdo
will not be a surprise for BNI as he is one of "BNI's men."

Widigdo, who was then a director, left BNI in 1992 to lead
then state-owned Bank Papan Sejahtera. He was then transferred to
BTN until yesterday.

To fill the vacant presidency at BTN, Tito Soetalaksana, a
former director at BTN, was yesterday assigned to preside over
BTN.

At yesterday's ceremony, Mar'ie also inaugurated Siswanto, a
former official at the central bank, as a director at state-owned
Bank Pembangunan Indonesia.

He also inducted Hoesein Soeropranoto, a former director at
state-owned PT Rajawali Nusindo, as president of the company,
substituting Margono. (rid)