Discussions on Ministers' Salary Cuts, Cabinet Secretary: No Decision Yet
Cabinet Secretary Lieutenant Colonel Teddy Indra Wijaya has stated that there has been no official decision regarding the plan to cut salaries for ministers and deputy ministers in the Merah Putih Cabinet. According to Teddy, the proposal is still in the discussion stage.
Teddy initially requested that questions about salary cuts for state officials be directed to the party raising the issue. However, when asked again, Teddy mentioned that the plan to reduce salaries for Prabowo’s aides in his cabinet will still be discussed.
“The main point is that these concepts will be deliberated in meetings over the next few days, and we will see. There has been no decision whatsoever,” Teddy said at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday, 7 April 2026.
The issue of salary cuts for state officials emerged after President Prabowo Subianto emphasised the importance of austerity measures to address the potential crisis resulting from the war in West Asia. Prabowo raised this during last month’s full cabinet plenary session.
The Head of State cited Pakistan, which has implemented extreme measures categorised as critical. The South Asian country has reduced working days and salaries for officials.
Pakistan is implementing savings because it considers this global crisis equivalent to the Covid-19 pandemic. “They even reduced salaries for cabinet members, for members of parliament, and all these salary savings are collected to help the most vulnerable groups,” Prabowo said at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Friday, 13 March 2026.
Less than a week later, State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi stated that the government is detailing a study on salary cuts for members of the Merah Putih Cabinet and the House of Representatives. The planned salary cuts will be due to the depleting stock of fuel oil (BBM) following the war in West Asia.
“We are detailing the study,” Prasetyo said at the Ministry of Defence office in Central Jakarta on Tuesday, 17 March 2026.