Prabowo Inaugurates Bahlil Lahadalia as Coordinating Minister for Downstreaming and Energy Resources
President Prabowo Subianto has officially inaugurated Bahlil Lahadalia as the Coordinating Minister for Downstreaming and Energy Transition, concurrently holding the position of Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) at the State Palace, Central Jakarta.
This appointment expands Bahlil’s track record within the central government. Prior to assuming his new roles in Prabowo’s cabinet, Bahlil held several strategic positions during the administration of the 7th President, Joko Widodo.
Bahlil’s bureaucratic career began when he was appointed Minister of Investment/Head of BKPM on 23 October 2019. He held this position until he was appointed Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, replacing Arifin Tasrif on 19 August 2024, to complete the remaining term of the Indonesia Maju Cabinet for the 2019-2024 period.
Only two days after assuming the role of Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil was elected by acclamation as the General Chairman of the Golkar Party for the 2024-2029 period during the XI National Congress at the Jakarta Convention Centre on 21 August 2024.
During his tenure as Minister of Investment/Head of BKPM, Indonesia’s realised investment was recorded to have continuously increased, exceeding annual targets. In 2019, realisation reached Rp809 trillion, or 102 per cent of the Rp7_92 trillion target, before increasing to Rp826.3 trillion in 2020 against a target of Rp817 trillion.
This investment growth continued in 2021 with a value of Rp901.02 trillion, or 104.95 per cent of the Rp858.5 trillion target. Investment figures continued to expand, reaching Rp1,207.2 trillion in 2022 and Rp1,418 trillion against a target of Rp1,400 trillion in 2023.
Before entering the bureaucracy, Bahlil was an entrepreneur who led the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (HIPMI) for the 2015-2019 period. Born in Banda, Maluku, on 7 August 1976, he built his business from a humble family background.
Bahlil’s youth was spent in various manual labour jobs, ranging from selling cakes to working as a bus conductor and a public transport driver in Papua. After completing high school, he moved to Jayapura to pursue higher education at a private university while remaining active in student organisations.
His professional career began as a contract employee in insurance before he eventually founded a financial consultancy firm. His success in the business world led him to serve as the CEO of PT Rifa Capital, which operates across various regions in Indonesia, eventually leading to his involvement in the national campaign team for the Joko Widodo-Ma’ruf Amin pair during the 2019 Election.