Who is he?
Franky Sibarani is a long-time Indonesian businessman and former secretary-general of the Indonesian Employers Association, or Apindo, Indonesia’s biggest business lobby organization. He was also secretary-general of the Indonesian Food and Beverage Association and an executive at instant food manufacturer Garuda Food. He is a graduate of the Bogor Agricultural University in Bogor, Indonesia.
Franky Sibarani will head up Indonesia’s Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM). Source: Chandra Marsono’s flickr photostream, used under a creative commons license.
Why is he in the news?
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on November 27 appointed Franky to be chairman of the Investment Coordinating Board, known as BKPM, a government agency responsible for attracting and monitoring foreign investments in Indonesia, a position that reports directly to the president.
What can we expect from him?
Franky has said he wants to accomplish three things as BKPM head: simplify permitting, reduce energy bottlenecks, and encourage domestic players to invest more in Indonesia’s growing economy. He will be responsible for implementing President Jokowi’s mandate to streamline the licensing process by setting up a “one-stop shop” for permits and business licenses under BKPM. Expect Franky to help carry out Jokowi’s pledge to slash bureaucratic red tape and simplify regulations in an effort to attract more foreign capital to Indonesia.
