Prabowo Examines Salary Cuts for Ministers and Parliament in Response to Middle East Conflict Impact

President Prabowo Subianto stated that several countries have implemented adaptive measures in response to the conflict situation in West Asia or the Middle East. Prabowo cited Pakistan as an example, noting that it has reduced salaries for cabinet members and parliamentary representatives.

He made these comments while leading a Plenary Cabinet Session at the State Palace in Jakarta on Friday, 13 March 2026. Prabowo emphasised that the government cannot ensure security without taking proactive steps.

“We cannot assume that we will be safe regardless of what happens. Yes, we are grateful that we are safe, but we have made no effort to reduce our fuel consumption. Many countries have already taken steps,” he said.

“Many countries have already taken measures. Perhaps the Cabinet Secretary has slides to show what steps. Here is Pakistan’s approach. This is only for comparison,” Prabowo said, displaying charts about Pakistan’s government measures during its crisis situation.

Prabowo noted that Pakistan implemented work-from-home arrangements for both government and private sectors. Working days were also reduced to four per week.

“They considered this critical, so they called it critical measures. It is for them as it once was for us during COVID. They implemented work-from-home for all offices, both government and private, with 50 per cent working from home. They then reduced working days to only four days,” he said.

Prabowo continued by noting that Pakistan also reduced salaries for ministers and parliamentary members. The budget adjustments were channelled to assist vulnerable populations.

“They even reduced salaries for cabinet members and parliamentary members, and all these salary savings were collected to help the most vulnerable or weak groups,” he said.

Prabowo added that Pakistan also cut fuel availability for all ministries and mandated that 60 per cent of government vehicles remain unused at all times. Furthermore, Pakistan halted all foreign spending, vehicle purchases, furniture purchases and expenditures across all government agencies for an indefinite period.

“They halted all overseas visits and reduced spending on government-funded entertainment events. All higher education institutions moved to online learning. All schools were closed for two weeks, possibly in preparation for Eid al-Fitr,” he said.

Prabowo stated that Pakistan’s government measures serve as an example for managing crisis situations. He requested that similar measures be examined as part of efforts to implement cost-saving measures.

“This is only an example. My point is, we have some time, and I believe we can examine this issue. I think we also need to make every effort to implement savings. I believe that within 2–3 years we will be very strong, but we must still conserve consumption. In this way, we hope to ensure that our deficit does not increase,” he said.