House Budget Committee Chair Rejects Proposal to Raise Regional Heads' Salaries

House Budget Committee Chair Said Abdullah has voiced his disagreement with the discourse on raising the financial entitlements of regional heads as a means to anticipate corruption. According to Said, the proposal would add to the state’s fiscal burden. “Let’s take a breather first. We must safeguard the sustainability of our fiscal position so it remains stable, healthy, and sustainable,” he said at the Parliament Complex in Jakarta on Monday, 6 July 2026. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle politician expressed hope that the discourse on raising regional heads’ financial entitlements could be postponed. Said urged the government to focus on maintaining economic stability so that the lower classes do not feel the impact of policies that increase the burden on the state budget. “My hope is to put the brakes on matters concerning the needs of our apparatus. The most important thing now is how we maintain fiscal credibility, then ensure our economic growth is inclusive. Not just growing, but ensuring those at the bottom do not feel the negative impacts,” said Said. The proposal to increase the financial entitlements of regional heads was put forward by the Chair of House Commission II, Muhammad Rifqinizamy Karsayuda. The proposal was a response to the many regional heads who have been named suspects in alleged corruption cases. Throughout mid-2026, nine regional heads were recorded as being implicated in graft cases by the Corruption Eradication Commission, most recently Kuantan Singingi Regent Suhardiman Amby and Langkat Regent Syah Afandin. According to him, the income of regional heads, which includes basic salary, facilities, and current position allowances, remains limited and irrational. The financial entitlements of regional heads are regulated in various regulations, such as Government Regulation Number 59 of 2000 concerning basic salary, Presidential Decree Number 68 of 2001 regarding position allowances, and Government Regulation Number 109 of 2000 concerning operational support facilities and costs. Rifqinizamy proposed that regional heads and deputies ideally receive 20 percent of the locally-generated revenue. “A regional head’s salary is only around Rp 5 million to Rp 6 million, while the political costs are high,” he said on Thursday, 2 July 2026. The commission overseeing regional autonomy has also received input from the Association of Deputy Regional Heads to revise regulations related to the financial entitlements of regional heads. The Ministry of Home Affairs is being encouraged to increase regional heads’ incomes more proportionally and reasonably. “If these financial entitlements are properly regulated, we hope that the abuse of authority, including corruption, can be minimised. But if the corruption cases are due to greed, that is a different matter,” said Rifqinizamy.