Indonesian parliament approves Destry as central bank governor

Indonesia’s parliament has cleared Destry Damayanti to become the first woman to lead Bank Indonesia, after approving her nomination in a plenary session on Sept. 1.

Destry, 62, was the only candidate for the position following the surprise resignation of Governor Perry Warjiyo in July, midway through his second term. The parliament’s financial committee endorsed her after a fit-and-proper test last week.

President Prabowo Subianto is expected to issue the decree that formally appoints her. Destry will take charge as investors raise concerns about fiscal management, stock-market transparency and the central bank’s autonomy while Prabowo seeks faster economic growth.

During her vetting, Destry described Indonesia’s situation as highly complex and called for stronger coordination among institutions. She also promised that cooperation with state agencies would not weaken Bank Indonesia’s independence. Her stated priorities include supporting growth and job creation while protecting financial stability and the rupiah.

Analysts cited her training as an economist at Cornell and her experience as a senior deputy governor since 2019. They said she would likely preserve continuity in monetary policy while maintaining a constructive working relationship with the Prabowo administration.

“

highly complex situation