Prabowo candidly reveals why teachers' salaries in Indonesia are low.

Prabowo Subianto has explained the reasons behind the relatively low salaries of teachers, Civil Servants (ASN) and other public officials in Indonesia, saying that national wealth has leaked away for decades. He delivered the remarks during the Macro Economic Framework and the Principles of Fiscal Policy (KEM-PPKF) for the 2027 RAPBN in the plenary chamber of the House of Representatives, Senayan, Jakarta, on Wednesday 20 May 2026. He said he would prioritise the welfare of teachers, emphasising that the future of a nation is determined by the quality of education that can be provided to its children. “We want our teachers to be assured of a decent living. Improving the living conditions of teachers must be our priority. The future of a nation is determined by the quality of education that can be provided to its children,” he said. “The quality of education is determined by teachers who are of high quality, teachers who are enthusiastic, cheerful, and teachers who can serve as examples for the generations to come,” he added. Beyond teacher welfare, Prabowo also wants Indonesia’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to grow rapidly. He spoke of an Indonesia in which every citizen lives in harmony, with adequate sandang, pangan, and papan (clothing, food, and shelter). He cited United Nations data indicating that over 22 years Indonesia’s gains reached US$436 billion, while outflows from Indonesia reached US$343 billion. “That means over 22 years the wealth remaining in Indonesia is US$436 billion minus US$343 billion,” he said. “This is why salaries for teachers, for law enforcement officers, and for civil servants are small. Budgets are not enough, budgets are not strong, and so on,” he continued. Prabowo noted that there has been an outflow of national wealth since the New Order era and highlighted under-invoicing as a form of fraud. The practice involves selling commodities from domestic companies to their own foreign subsidiaries at prices far below the true value. “Many of them set up companies abroad. They sell from their domestic companies to their foreign affiliates at prices far below the true value. This is what happens. Again, this is data from the UN,” said Prabowo.