Discussing the Fate of 9,000 PPPK in the NTT Provincial Government, Laka Lena to Visit Three Ministries

Gubernur Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT), Emanuel Melkiades Laka Lena, together with regents and mayors, will visit three ministries to discuss the fate of 9,000 Pegawai Pemerintah dengan Perjanjian Kerja (PPPK) in the NTT Provincial Government (Pemprov NTT) who are at risk of being laid off in 2027. Thousands of Pemprov NTT PPPKs face dismissal due to the enactment of Law No. 1 of 2022 on the Financial Relations between the Central Government and Regional Governments (HKPD) in 2027. This law regulates the cap on payroll expenditure at a maximum of 30% of the total Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD).

“Pemprov NTT and the regencies/cities government are scheduled to hold an audience with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform to discuss that policy,” Laka Lena said in a telephone interview with detikBali, on Wednesday, 4 March 2026.

Laka Lena explained that Article 146(1) of the HKPD not only concerns budget efficiency but also touches the fate of thousands of civil servants and the sustainability of public services in the regions.

“We have agreed with all regents and mayors to take this issue directly to the central government. This has been discussed with all regional leaders in a virtual meeting yesterday,” Laka Lena said.

Laka Lena emphasised the importance of a collective step so that the 30% cap on payroll expenditure from the APBD is not applied uniformly without considering regional fiscal conditions. This move is not to oppose the regulation, but to seek a more realistic transition scheme so that regions are not caught up in the risk of fiscal or administrative sanctions.

The former Deputy Chairman of Commission IX of the House of Representatives (DPR) noted that the central and regional governments must move together. However, the fiscal conditions of each region differ and cannot be treated the same. Therefore, the NTT Provincial Government, together with regents and mayors, will seek a solution so that no one is sacrificed.

“We must move together. The conditions of each region are different. We want a fair solution,” asserted the Golkar party politician.

Struktur Belanja Pegawai Pemprov NTT

Laka Lena explained that the root of the problem lies in the spending structure that has long been formed. Data as of 31 January 2026 shows the number of civil state apparatus (ASN) in Pemprov NTT reaches 30,243 people, including Civil Servants (PNS), Candidate Civil Servants (CPNS), and PPPK from various formations, as well as part-time staff.

This composition, according to Laka Lena, makes Pemprov NTT’s payroll share 40.29% or around Rp 2.14 trillion of the total APBD. If payroll is limited to 30% in 2027, the allocation would have to be cut to around Rp 1.59 trillion. As a result, there is a shortfall of more than Rp 543 billion that must be adjusted.

Laka Lena emphasised that this figure is more than budget statistics; it directly affects salary payments and the sustainability of about 9,000 PPPKs recruited in recent years.

“Regional leaders deem this dilemma far more complex than merely slimming the bureaucracy. In NTT, many PPPK personnel are placed in education and health sectors, two areas that are the backbone of basic services in an archipelagic region with uneven access,” Laka Lena said.

On the other hand, the regulation is indeed designed by the central government to enlarge the space for development spending and reduce the routine bureaucratic burden. However, for regions with limited own-source revenue (PAD) and high dependence on central transfers, rapid adjustments are considered risky.

According to Laka Lena, under HKPD, regions exceeding the payroll expenditure cap can be sanctioned with cuts to transfer funds, such as the General Allocation Fund (DAU) and Special Allocation Funds (DAK), cessation of fiscal incentives, freezing of ASN recruitment, and suspension of APBD draft evaluations. Moreover, the financial rights of regional heads and the DPRD can be postponed.

Therefore, the NTT Government hopes that dialogue with the three relevant ministries can produce a special formula or a gradual adjustment that takes into account the fiscal characteristics of each region.

“Without a flexible approach, the policy intended to strengthen financial governance could actually threaten the stability of public services in Eastern Indonesia,” Laka Lena said.

PPPK Teachers Urged to Prepare

Head of the NTT Education and Culture Department (Disdikbud), Ambrosius Kodo, urged PPPK teachers to be prepared should the policy of capping payroll expenditure at 30% in line with the HKPD law indeed apply in 2027.

“The governor indicated in line with directives and regulations, but in the governor’s statement he also said that the policy would not change from Jakarta,” Ambrosius said.

“That means there are still options, so yesterday the NTT Provincial Government, the Governor, and the Vice Governor held a meeting with regional heads across the NTT Province, with an agreement to advocate to Jakarta and so on,” Ambrosius continued.

“In fact, the NTT Government is actually siding with PPPK. What the Governor said does not mean that the Governor is not siding with PPPK, but the Governor must express it so that we are better prepared from now,” Ambrosius explained.

Ambrosius emphasised that the Governor and Vice Governor of NTT are still seeking solutions or ways out to address the issue. He asked PPPK teachers to remain calmer in responding to the problem.

“Therefore, my teacher friends, please stay calm and not think negatively at the moment as it is still being pursued,” he said.