Pertamina to have new boss

JAKARTA (JP): State oil and gas firm Pertamina will have a new boss today, with finance director Soegianto replacing incumbent Faisal Abda'oe, Antara reported.

"The inauguration will take place tomorrow (today). The replacement will come within the company," Minister of Mines and Energy I.B. Sudjana told journalists yesterday.

Antara said rumors on the promotion of Soegianto to the company's top position had been spreading for the past two months.

Before that, several names had also been circulated, including the director general of customs and excise, Soehardjo Soebardi.

Soegianto started his career with Pertamina in 1960, after completing his studies at the University of Indonesia's School of Economics.

Two years later, he was appointed as head of the finance department at Pertamina's Processing Unit IV in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan.

He was promoted two years later to finance manager at Pertamina's Processing Unit I in Pangkalan Brandan, North Sumatra.

In 1978, he was sent to Pertamina's headquarters in Jakarta to lead the accounting department, under the finance directorate.

In 1986, he was transferred to the budgetary department under the same directorate.

Soegianto replaced Abda'oe as finance director in 1988, when the latter was sworn-in as the company's president. Abda'oe is Pertamina's second longest serving president after Ibnu Sutowo.

Today, Soegianto is scheduled to again step into Abda'oe's shoes by becoming president of Pertamina, one of the world's richest companies. (rid)