Ministers' Salaries in the Red and White Cabinet to be Cut? Here's What Airlangga and Purbaya Say
Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto stated that the discourse on cutting ministers’ salaries has not been discussed up to now. Airlangga mentioned that discussions related to the proposal have not taken place, whether regarding salaries or ministers’ allowances.
“It has never been discussed,” said Airlangga at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, on Tuesday (7/4/2026).
He mentioned that the discussion had previously surfaced but has not entered the agenda.
“We’ll see later; at that time there was a discussion, but we’re just monitoring,” he said.
Airlangga then asked journalists to inquire with the party that first raised the discourse.
“Perhaps the one who conveyed it at that time; ask the concerned party,” he said.
Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa also said that the discourse on cutting ministers’ salaries has not yet been discussed. “Not yet, not yet,” he stated.
Purbaya said that the matter would be decided by President Prabowo Subianto.
“From Mr President later, not from me,” he said.
It is known that Purbaya does not object to the discourse on cutting ministers’ salaries. However, he is still awaiting an official decision from President Prabowo Subianto.
“If (salary cut) for the DPR, I don’t know. For ministers, it’s fine; we’ll see what the President’s policy is like,” said Purbaya at the Coordinating Ministry for the Economy office, Jakarta, on Monday (6/4/2026).
On that occasion, Purbaya estimated that the amount of the ministers’ salary cut would be around 25 percent.
“It seems like 25 percent,” he said.
On a different occasion, Purbaya said that his side would directly set the percentage of cuts to the spending budgets of ministries and agencies as a step towards efficiency in using the State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN) amid rising global economic uncertainty due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
“I initially asked the ministries to cut themselves, but if told like that, they don’t want to cut; they even increase everything. If I can determine it, I’ll cut by what percent, then they adjust,” said Purbaya at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, on Thursday (19/3).
Purbaya explained that the Ministry of Finance would review spending components deemed postponable for the time being. The efficiency focus targets programmes that do not provide significant impact or have slow acceleration towards national economic growth.
In addition to efficiency at the programme level, the discourse on cutting salaries for ministers and deputy ministers has also emerged as part of national budget savings. Purbaya expressed his support for the proposal as a concrete step of solidarity by state officials in saving expenditures.
“I agree. Oh, that’s good. If that’s good,” said the Finance Minister in response to questions about the plan to cut salaries for officials at the ministerial level.