Jakarta. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said on Thursday that foreign nationals appointed to lead state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are still required to submit wealth reports and remain under its jurisdiction if implicated in corruption cases.

The statement came after President Prabowo Subianto announced that his administration had revised regulations to allow expatriates to serve in top management roles at state enterprises.

KPK spokesman Budi Prasetyo said that even if a state firm is led by a foreign citizen, the individual must comply with Indonesia’s rules for public officials, including the mandatory filing of a State Officials’ Wealth Report (LHKPN).

“Every state official has an obligation to declare their assets and wealth through the LHKPN system,” Budi said at the KPK headquarters in South Jakarta. “If a foreign national is appointed to such a position, they must also comply with this requirement.”

Budi said the anticorruption watchdog retains full authority to investigate corruption allegations involving state-owned enterprises, regardless of the nationality of those involved.

“If there is suspected fraud or corruption in a state-owned enterprise, the KPK can still investigate it,” he said. “State firms manage state funds, and their officials, whether local or foreign, are considered public administrators under the law.”

President Prabowo announced the policy during a discussion with Steve Forbes, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media, at the St. Regis Hotel in Jakarta on Wednesday. “I have changed the regulation, now expatriates, non-Indonesians, can lead our state-owned enterprises,” Prabowo said.

He added that the move was part of a broader effort to professionalize SOE management and raise competitiveness to international standards. “You can recruit the best minds, the best talents,” Prabowo told the management of BPI Danantara, a state investment holding company.

The policy shift was reflected in recent appointments at Garuda Indonesia, the national flag carrier, where two foreign nationals were named directors during an extraordinary general shareholders’ meeting on Wednesday.

The new directors include Neil Raymond Nills, Director of Transformation, and Balagopal Kunduvara, Director of Finance and Risk Management.

Pandu Sjahrir, Chief Investment Officer at BPI Danantara, said the appointments were intended to strengthen Garuda’s corporate governance and align its management with global aviation standards. “You’ve seen that many major airlines, such as Emirates, have foreign nationals in their top leadership,” Pandu said during a public forum on Thursday.

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