Deputy governor Perry Warjiyo nominated to head Bank Indonesia

BANK INDONESIA / BI - JAKARTA. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has reportedly nominated Perry Warjiyo, a deputy governor at Bank Indonesia (BI), for the top job at the central bank. 

Perry, who will retire in April, was the only candidate lodged by the President to the House of Representatives for approval. 

Perry will replace BI Governor Agus Martowardojo, who will end his term in May. The House is scheduled to conduct a screening of the nominated candidate in April prior to the approval. 

No official statements have been made by the State Palace or the House. Perry was not immediately available for comment. 

Previously, four candidates were mentioned as possible replacements, namely former finance ministers Chatib Basri and Bambang Brodjonegoro, incumbent Agus Martowardojo and Perry. 

Perry has spent most of his career in the central bank, where he started to work in 1984.  He had been nominated four times for deputy governor since 2009. However, he only secured the position on April 15, 2013. 

Born in Sukoharjo, Central Java, in 1959, Perry earned master's and doctoral degrees in monetary and international finance at Iowa State University in the United States in 1989 and 1991, respectively. 

Prior to serving as deputy governor, Perry was the assistant to the governor for monetary policy and macro-prudential and international affairs. Perry has also played a key role as an executive director with the International Monetary Fund, representing 13 country members in the Southeast Asia Voting Group. (Damar Harsanto)