Profile of Arief Prasetyo Adi, former head of the Bapanas removed by Prabowo

Jakarta (ANTARA) – President Prabowo Subianto has officially dismissed Arief Prasetyo Adi as head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas). This decision is contained in Presidential Decree (Keppres) number 116/P of 2025 regarding the dismissal and appointment of the head of the National Food Agency, signed by President Prabowo on Thursday, October 9, 2025.

Arief Prasetyo Adi has been the head of Bapanas since the administration of President Joko Widodo, to be precise since February 21, 2022. However, in the new government under the leadership of President Prabowo, he was officially removed from his position with the motivation of increasing the effectiveness of performance and implementation of government tasks in the food sector.

So, what is Arief Prasetyo Adi, who has now been officially fired from his position as Bapanas boss, really like? The following is his complete profile summarized from various sources.

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Educational background and history

Arief Prasetyo Adi was born in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, on November 27, 1974. He is known as an engineer and food entrepreneur originally from Central Kalimantan.

His childhood spent in Central Kalimantan shaped Arief’s enthusiasm for pursuing higher education. After completing secondary education, he migrated to Yogyakarta to continue his undergraduate studies at the Department of Civil Engineering, Atma Jaya University, Yogyakarta, and managed to obtain a bachelor’s degree in 1998.

Not long after, he continued his studies on the same campus to earn a Master’s degree in Engineering, which he completed in 2000. Then, in 2024, Arief received an honorary doctorate from Kyungsung University, Busan, South Korea, in recognition of his work in the food and business sectors.

Professional path and awards

Before entering the world of public administration, Arief was known in the retail and business management sectors. He has long experience and good reputation in numerous large companies, both at home and abroad. Some of the notable positions he has held include:

• PT Lotte Shopping Indonesia

• PT Hero Supermarket (four years in Timika and Freeport area)

• Sdn estimation challenge. Bhd., Malaysia – in an effort to expand business internationally

• Deputy CEO and COO at PT Bez Retailindo, Paramount Enterprise International (2013–2015)

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Arief’s positive image in the business world led to him being appointed Chief Director of PT Food Station Tjipinang Jaya, one of the BUMDs belonging to the provincial government of DKI Jakarta, on 29 September 2015. His appointment at that time was made by Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok), who was the governor of DKI Jakarta.

Arief’s career continues to soar nationally. On November 16, 2020, he was appointed Principal Director of PT Rajawali Nusantara Indonesia (RNI), which was later transformed into ID Food BUMN Holding. During his leadership, he was considered successful in strengthening coordination between the domestic food logistics, production and trade sectors.

At his peak, on February 21, 2022, Arief was officially appointed by President Joko Widodo to head the National Food Agency (Bapanas), a new institution created to strengthen national food security.

During his tenure, Arief was known as an active professional figure in maintaining food stability, including through the Cheap Food Movement which was held simultaneously in 341 districts/cities. Thanks to his commitment he has received numerous prestigious awards, including:

• Best CEO of the Year by Business News Indonesia (2021)

• Innovative leader takes care of nutrition (2023)

• MURI record for simultaneous movement of low-cost food products in 314 regencies/cities (2023)

• Indonesia’s Next Leaders (2024)

Read also: Bapanas inspects rice quality at Bulog Ponorogo warehouse

Removal of Arief as Chief of the Bapanas

Arief Prasetyo Adi has been officially honorably dismissed from his position as head of the Bapanas by President Prabowo Subianto. This dismissal is based on Presidential Decree Number 116/P of 2025 on the Dismissal and Appointment of the Head of the National Food Agency, stipulated on October 9, 2025.

“Respectfully dismissing Arief Prasetyo Adi from the position of head of the National Food Agency, accompanied by thanks for his dedication and services during his tenure,” reads a copy of Presidential Decree No. 116/P of 2025.

This removal raised doubts among the public. However, Minister of State Secretary (Mensesneg) Prasetyo Hadi stressed that the decision was not related to performance issues.

“We want to assign Mas Arief to another location, so that this function is covered directly by the Minister of Agriculture,” he underlined.

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