Indonesia’s Danantara must ‘outlast’ presidencies to prove worth: investment chief

Indonesia’s Danantara must outlive political administrations to prove its worth to investors and most importantly to the people, according to the sovereign wealth fund’s chief…

Indonesia’s Danantara must outlive political administrations to prove its worth to investors and most importantly to the people, according to the sovereign wealth fund’s chief investment officer.

Pandu Sjahrir said the fund was focused on the demutualisation of Jakarta’s stock market and to support the establishment of the first financial centre in Bali to boost investor confidence.

“Investment is almost everything for us. Confidence is the name of the game, and we have to create long-term confidence,” Pandu said at the Nusa Dua Forum in Bali on Friday, organised by the South China Morning Post with Danantara Indonesia as partner.

“So, for me personally, Danantara has to outlast presidencies, and for this to happen, we have to be very, very successful,” he said.

Success was the best insurance in guaranteeing continuity from one political administration to another and the core leadership of Danantara had to be disciplined in its focus to deliver high and sustainable returns on its mandate.

“For us, our focus is strictly on profit,” Pandu said at a panel discussion with Tengku Zafrul Aziz, chairman of Malaysian Investment Development Authority.