Improving Teachers’ Welfare in Indonesia Becomes Prabowo’s Priority

JAKARTA — President Prabowo Subianto has asserted that improving teachers’ welfare must be one of the government’s priorities. He said that the quality of education in Indonesia largely depends on the quality of its educators.

‘Improving the living conditions of teachers must be our priority,’ Prabowo said in a speech at the plenary session presenting the Macro Economic Framework (MEF) and the Core Principles of Fiscal Policy (PPKF) for the 2027 State Budget (RAPBN 2027), on Wednesday 20 May 2026.

One of the factors cited is under invoicing or fraud carried out by exporters or importers by reporting inaccurate data to the government.

‘This is why teachers’ salaries are low, salaries of law enforcement officers are low, salaries of civil servants are low. This is why the budget is never enough, the budget is not strong, and so on,’ Prabowo said.

‘For 34 years, what has happened? What has happened is what is called under invoicing,’ he continued.

‘Many of them set up companies abroad. He sells from his domestic company to his foreign company at prices well below actual prices,’ he explained.

In that regard, he emphasised that the future of a nation is determined by the quality of its education.

‘We want our teachers to have their welfare guaranteed; the future of a nation is determined by the quality of education that can be provided to its children,’ Prabowo said.