Ministry of Social Affairs Reviews Additional Incentives for 26,000 Tagana Personnel

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Minister of Social Affairs (Mensos) Saifullah Yusuf, or Gus Ipul, stated that his ministry is currently reviewing additional or increased incentives for 26,000 Taruna Siaga Bencana (Tagana) personnel. Gus Ipul said that to date, the Tagana personnel, who hold the status of social pillar volunteers, receive incentives worth Rp250,000 per month. “We want to provide more support to our Tagana friends, but we are still conducting simulations to increase the budget,” said Gus Ipul when met at the Ministry of Social Affairs office in Central Jakarta on Thursday (23/4/2026). “We are considering it according to the state’s financial capacity for those 26,000 (Tagana personnel),” he added. The consideration to raise the incentives is being weighed because Tagana personnel have served for decades in assisting natural disaster victims. They carry out humanitarian tasks, logistics preparation, establishment of community kitchens, and psychosocial assistance. “Tagana is part of the pillars of the Ministry of Social Affairs that always present during disaster situations. They work in collaboration with the TNI, Polri, local governments, and other volunteers,” said Gus Ipul. “This is an important matter for the Ministry of Social Affairs to continue improving the quality of Tagana’s human resources through training,” he stated.