Finance Minister Dismisses Rp 16 Million Salary Claim for Kopdes Merah Putih Managers as 'Too High'

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has denied reports circulating on social media that managers of the Kopdes Merah Putih (Red and White Village Cooperative) will earn a salary of Rp 16 million per month. He stated that such a figure is too high and that the government has not yet reached a final decision on the matter. “If it’s Rp 16 million, that’s definitely wrong, it seems too high. If it were that much, we simply wouldn’t agree to it, end of story,” Purbaya said at the Ministry of Finance in Jakarta on Wednesday. He noted that the salary amount is still under discussion and is expected to be aligned with the Provincial Minimum Wage (UMP). “It will be adjusted to the UMP, so they say. But I haven’t seen the final figure yet. I’ll wait and see what it looks like,” he added. The social media reports had detailed a breakdown of the purported Rp 16.25 million monthly package, comprising a basic salary of Rp 8 million, a position allowance of Rp 2 million, a performance incentive of Rp 1.5 million, a health allowance of Rp 750,000, a meal allowance of Rp 1 million, a communication allowance of Rp 500,000, and a transport allowance of Rp 1 million. The government had previously stated that the salaries for Kopdes Merah Putih managers during the first two years of operation would be funded by the state budget (APBN). This scheme is intended as a bridging measure to support the cooperatives’ initial operations before they become self-sufficient through their own business revenues.