Indonesia has chosen Elia Massa Manik, head of the state holding company for the plantations industry, as the new CEO of state energy firm Pertamina, sources said on March 15.

Manik, CEO of PT Perkebunan Nusantara III and former head of oil and gas company PT Elnusa, a unit of Pertamina, was appointed by Indonesian President Joko Widodo on the evening of March 14, two sources with knowledge of the issue said.

A spokeswoman for Pertamina, which dominates Indonesia's energy industry, said any announcement still has to wait for official confirmation from shareholders.

The state firm, which has a virtual monopoly on petroleum imports, leads the country in retail oil sales and owns and operates the country's main refineries.

Last month, Pertamina removed its CEO Dwi Soetjipto and Deputy CEO Ahmad Bambang, citing leadership problems. New and renewable energy director Yenni Andayani was appointed as acting CEO.

Pertamina chairman Tanri Abeng said at the time that complex recruitment and management structure issues had "obstructed cooperation," adding that there would no longer be a deputy CEO.

Soetjipto was appointed CEO of Pertamina in November 2014 by President Widodo, and had overseen efforts to eliminate corruption and slash Indonesia's fuel imports, including by developing domestic refining capacity.