Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – A member of the Presidential Advisory Council (Wantimpres) Arifin Panigoro passed away, Monday (28/2/2022). He died at the Mayo Clinic, United States (US), on February 27 local time.
During his lifetime, Arifin Panigoro was a successful entrepreneur in Indonesia. This figure from Gorontalo has played an important role in the Indonesian oil industry since the 1980s.
Arifin Panigoro is known as the founder of Meta Epsi Drilling Company or PT Medco Energi Internasional Tbk. He has been in business in the black gold industry for about 40 years.
While leading Medco Energi Internasional, Arifin proved that Indonesian entrepreneurs can own and manage petroleum companies with quality that is not inferior to foreign corporations.
Arifin’s success in building Medco Energi in 1980 was followed by his acquisition of various international oil and gas blocks in Indonesia. In 1994 ago, Arifin brought a company that was founded on the Stock Exchange.
His prowess in managing Medco Energi makes many people dub Arifin as ‘King of Oil from Gorontalo’. Under the leadership of Arifin, Medco Energi also succeeded in acquiring mining company Newmont and the oil and gas block in Natuna from ConocoPhillips in 2016.
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Photo: President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) took a group photo after meeting a number of national figures from various elements at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Thursday (26/9/2019). (CNBC Indonesia/Chandra Gian Asmara) President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) took a group photo after meeting a number of national figures from various elements at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Thursday (26/9/2019). (CNBC Indonesia/Chandra Gian Asmara)- – |
Apart from being known as an accomplished businessman, the man who was born on March 14, 1945 was also a member of the PDI-P in the period 1999 – 2005. Arifiin was the chairman of the PDIP faction in the DPR RI in 2022 – 2003.
After that, Arifin and several of his friends founded their own party called the Reform Democracy Party. Because of his expertise in business, this Electrical Engineering graduate from ITB received an Honorary Doctorate in Technopreneurship from his alma mater in 2010.
In addition, Arifin also won the Mahaputera Nararya Star award from the President of the Republic of Indonesia in 2019. Arifin received the award because he was considered instrumental for the progress, welfare, and prosperity of the nation and state as long as he lived.
Since December 2019, Arifin was inaugurated as a member of Jokowi’s Wantimpres. After being inaugurated by Jokowi, Arifin admitted that he had received a special message from him to reduce the number of TB sufferers in Indonesia.
“Jokowi said, ‘This is Mr. Arifin, Mrs. Arifin, I am surprised that there are still many TB cases in Indonesia’,” said Arifin at the time.
The special message was not wrongly given by Jokowi to Arifin Panigoro, because this figure who is known to be close to Jokowi does have a high concern for health issues and efforts to eradicate the disease from Indonesia.
(Cha Cha dance)
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