Indonesian president appoints technocrats to top economic posts

JAKARTA - Indonesia's new president on Sunday appointed professional technocrats to lead the top economic ministries and implement much-needed reforms to deal with costly fuel subsidies, cooling investment and the country's creaky infrastructure.

Joko Widodo unveiled a cabinet of 34 ministers that was filled with political appointees and last-minute replacements, reflecting the many compromises necessary to maintain a fragile coalition and have a team seen as free of graft.

Widodo, who took office last Monday, appointed former state-owned enterprises minister Sofyan Djalil as coordinating minister for economics and promoted vice finance minister Bambang Brodjonegoro to head the finance ministry.

The president named the chief executive of state-owned defence firm PT Pindad, Sudirman Said, as energy and mineral resources minister, and a former head of auto-assembler PT Astra International Rini Soemarno Soewandi as state-owned enterprises minister.

Retno Marsudi, the current ambassador to the Netherlands, will take over as foreign minister.

Widodo's cabinet picks will be sworn-in on Monday.