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Bank Indonesia Governor Perry Warjiyo (Antara/Muhammad Adimaja) (Antara/Muhammad Adimaja))
Bank Indonesia (BI) Governor Perry Warjiyo has resigned, becoming the latest senior fiscal and monetary policymaker to leave office over the past year. After more than four decades helming the central bank, his decision to step down in the middle of his second term comes at a time of heightened global economic uncertainty, mounting domestic fiscal pressures and weakening market confidence. Perry’s departure has reignited debate over the central bank’s independence amid growing state policy priorities.Selecting a credible successor will be critical to restoring market confidence and reaffirming the central bank’s autonomy. Following Perry’s resignation, the central bank’s senior deputy governor Destry Damayanti was appointed acting governor. She is also among the names being discussed as his potential permanent successor alongside Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, BI Deputy Governor Aida S. Budiman, former BI governor Burhanuddin Abdullah, former Financial Services Authority (OJK) chief commissioner Muliaman D. Hadad and BI Deputy Governor Thomas Djiwandono.
Joining the central bank in 1984, Perry was first appointed BI governor in 2018 and then reappointed for the 2023-2028 term. Under his leadership, BI navigated a series of major economic shocks, including the taper tantrum, the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath and heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The central bank also expanded its policy toolkit by introducing foreign exchange (forex) open market operations alongside new instruments such as BI Rupiah Securities (SRBI) and BI Foreign Exchange Securities (SVBI).
