Prabowo Changes 2025 Work Program: Salaries of Civil Servants and State Officials Will Increase

Source: jejaknesia.com

Jejaknesia.com - In mid-2025, the government under the command of President Prabowo Subianto made a breakthrough by updating the national work program. One of the most attention-grabbing points is the plan to increase the salaries of Civil Servants (ASN), members of the TNI/Polri, and state officials. This policy is stipulated in Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 79 of 2025 concerning the Updating of the 2025 Government Work Plan, which took effect on June 30, 2025.

Background of the 2025 RKP Changes

8 Fast Best-Result Programs: Summary and Key Points

In Presidential Regulation Number 79/2025, the government set out “8 Fast Best-Result Programs” as part of its effort to accelerate development and public welfare. The following is the list of those eight programs along with the newly added points:

1. Providing Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) in schools and boarding schools, as well as nutritional assistance for toddlers and pregnant women.
2. Organizing free health checks, eradicating tuberculosis cases, and constructing comprehensive, high-quality hospitals at the district level.
3. Increasing agricultural land productivity through village, regional, and national food barns.
4. Building integrated excellent schools in each district and renovating schools that require improvement.
5. Continuing and expanding social welfare card and business card programs to eliminate absolute poverty.
6. Salary increases for civil servants (especially teachers, lecturers, health workers, and agricultural counselors), TNI/Polri personnel, and state officials.
7. Continuing the development of village and sub-district infrastructure, direct cash assistance (BLT), and ensuring the provision of affordable, sanitary housing for low-income citizens (MBR), including millennials and Gen Z.
8. Establishing the National Revenue Agency (BPN) and increasing the state revenue-to-GDP ratio to 23%. Previously, this was only described as “revenue optimization” without a specific target.

Focus on Salary Increase: Who Benefits and Why?

Groups of Civil Servants and Officials Who Benefit

The sixth point in the above program explicitly mentions salary increases for: civil servants — particularly teachers, lecturers, health workers, and counselors; TNI/Polri personnel; and state officials.

Comparison with Previous Regulations

In Presidential Regulation 109 of 2024, the 2025 government work plan did not include a salary increase for state officials. Therefore, this addition is a new policy introduced in Presidential Regulation 79 of 2025.

Unanswered Questions

• How much will the salary increase be for each group (teachers, lecturers, officials, TNI/Polri)?
• When exactly will the salary increase take effect regularly? Will there be additional payments or temporary incentives?
• What will be the impact on the state budget and the allocation of other programs?
• Will this increase be accompanied by reforms in workload or allowances that have long been considered inadequate? For instance, teacher professional allowances, counselor workloads, etc.

Analysis: Opportunities, Challenges, and Policy Implications

Positive Opportunities

By increasing the salaries of civil servants, TNI/Polri personnel, and state officials, several positive effects are expected to occur, including:

• Improved motivation and productivity among government employees. When salaries reflect workload and responsibility, job satisfaction will grow.
• Enhanced quality of public services, particularly in education, healthcare, and counseling. Well-compensated teachers, lecturers, and health workers tend to be more focused and less burdened by financial anxiety.
• The ability to attract back professionals who may have chosen the private sector due to uncompetitive compensation in the public sector.
• Economic redistribution — when salary increases are evenly distributed and well-targeted, they can have a positive effect on surrounding community purchasing power.

Challenges and Risks

However, these opportunities also come with several real challenges:

• Lack of clarity on exact increase figures — without transparency about the scale of the raise, there is a risk of excessive expectations that could lead to disappointment.
• Budget limitations — salary increases require additional funding. The government must ensure that other sectors (infrastructure, education, health, regional funds) are not drastically cut.
• Inflation and fiscal burden — if the salary increase is not accompanied by proper inflation management, purchasing power may still erode despite higher nominal wages.
• Impact on bureaucratic reform efforts — salary increases must be matched with accountability, transparency, and performance improvement to avoid becoming merely an added cost without impact.

As a public policy observer, I see this move as a strong signal that Prabowo’s administration aims to build legitimacy through tangible benefits felt by state apparatus. Salary increases for civil servants, TNI/Polri, and state officials show that the government understands that their welfare remains one of the key drivers of public dissatisfaction.

However, for this policy to be optimally effective, the government must disclose more detailed data: the percentage of the raise, who benefits the most, and the payment mechanisms involved. Without such transparency, the public may view this as an unfulfilled promise.

Impact on the Education and Health Sectors

Among the specifically mentioned groups are teachers, lecturers, health workers, and counselors. Salary increases for them are not merely about compensation, but also a form of recognition for their essential role in human development and national capacity building.

Education and health are two sectors often highlighted for their disparities in service quality across regions. If teachers and health workers in remote areas receive proportional increases, the quality of education and access to healthcare may improve, reducing development gaps between regions.

Financial and Budget Policy Implications

This salary increase policy will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the national budget. The following are several aspects to consider:

• Budget allocation: The government must carefully calculate the additional funding required to increase the salaries of civil servants, TNI/Polri, and state officials. This increase could require a substantial amount of resources.
• Program balance: If too much of the budget is diverted to salary increases without strengthening other sectors such as infrastructure, social programs, education, and health, long-term development could weaken.
• Inflation management: Will this salary increase be accompanied by price control policies for essentials and energy? Otherwise, the wage increase might only mask declining purchasing power caused by inflation.
• Transparency and accountability: The government must be transparent about the size of the increase, the beneficiaries, the implementation timeline, and the evaluation mechanisms.

Public Response and Expectations

The public has generally welcomed the news of this salary increase, as many feel that work in the public sector carries heavy responsibilities and risks. Teachers, lecturers, health workers, and counselors often have to work extra hours, particularly in remote areas.

Conclusion

The 2025 work program revision led by President Prabowo through Presidential Regulation Number 79 of 2025 marks a strategic step toward equitable welfare for state apparatus. The inclusion of salary increases for civil servants, TNI/Polri, and state officials in the “Fast Best-Result Program” signals the government’s recognition of the importance of strengthening the motivation and productivity of public servants.

Nevertheless, the effectiveness of this policy depends heavily on technical details: transparency in the percentage of increase, alignment with the national budget, and proper management of inflation and social impact. If all these elements are handled properly, this policy will not just be a slogan but a milestone in fair and sustainable national development.

Change is the breath of progress — but only when carried out with clarity and responsibility. The salary increase for civil servants, TNI/Polri, and state officials in the 2025 RKP represents hope, especially for those at the forefront of public service. However, that hope must be maintained through the government’s firm commitment to provide data, timelines, and tangible realization. For the public, let us monitor together, critique constructively, and support this initiative so that it becomes not just a promise on paper — but a real benefit felt by the people. Because development is not about what is promised, but about what is delivered.

References

• SINDOnews.com
• Detik.com