Indonesia's president replaces finance minister with deputy

Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto has sacked Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa and appointed his deputy as his replacement.



Deputy Finance Minister Suahasil Nazara was among the senior officials who arrived at the state palace for a swearing-in ceremony.



Earlier on Monday, Purbaya had left in the middle of a parliamentary hearing.



Purbaya was appointed just over a year ago, replacing longtime finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, who served under three presidents.



Previously a low-profile technocrat best known for leading a deposit insurance agency, Purbaya quickly became one of the more recognisable faces in government with what observers said was his brash and unfiltered style.



In April, Purbaya had floated the idea of imposing a levy on ships passing through the Malacca Strait, as part of a push to maximise the country’s strategic position along global trade and energy routes.



Purbaya's time in office was marked by a number of economic shocks, including a plummeting rupiah currency and a ballooning fiscal deficit.