JAKARTA, BALINEWS — Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on Thursday (Oct. 1, 2026) appointed Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia as Coordinating Minister for Downstreaming and Energy Transition, placing two key government agendas under a single coordinating ministry.
The appointment was made at the State Palace in Jakarta based on Presidential Decree No. 104/P of 2026 concerning the dismissal and appointment of ministers and deputy ministers in the 2024–2029 Red and White Cabinet.
Bahlil will retain his position as Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources while taking on his new role as coordinating minister.
Following the inauguration, Bahlil said he was ready to carry out both responsibilities and pledged to give his full commitment to the government.
“As an aide to the President, I will do my utmost to carry out these duties properly, both as coordinating minister and as Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources,” Bahlil said.
The new coordinating structure brings together two policy priorities that had previously been managed through separate channels: increasing the domestic value of Indonesia’s natural resources through downstream processing and accelerating the country’s transition toward cleaner energy.
Bahlil said the decision to combine the two areas was driven in part by geopolitical uncertainty and changes in the global economic landscape, as well as growing pressure to accelerate the use of clean energy.
“Given the uncertain geopolitical conditions and the dynamics of the global economy, which also demand a transition to clean energy, the President considers it important for priority programs related to downstreaming and energy transition to be carried out comprehensively and measurably,” Bahlil said at a press briefing at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in Jakarta.
The government expects the integrated coordination to increase the value added of natural resources within Indonesia while strengthening national energy security and self-reliance.
The two agendas also have direct implications for the economy, including job creation, state revenues and the reliability of energy supplies for households and businesses.
Bahlil’s new assignment builds on responsibilities he has previously held. He had led the Task Force for the Acceleration of Downstreaming and National Energy Security, which prepared priority downstreaming projects before their implementation stage.
In March 2026, President Prabowo also appointed Bahlil chairman of the Task Force for the Acceleration of Energy Transition. The task force was tasked with speeding up the implementation of renewable energy projects, including the development of solar power plants.
With the two policy areas now under a single coordinating authority, the government aims to integrate downstreaming and energy transition from the preparation of priority projects through to implementation on the ground.
