THE return of Sri Mulyani Indrawati to government after six years as a World Bank managing director is certainly good news. But as credible an asset as she once was in the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono administration before she fell victim to the Bank Century bailout debacle, her presence in President Joko Widodo's reshuffled cabinet should still only be viewed with cautious optimism.

She was always the first choice for finance minister, even back in 20