By: Prabowo Subianto [excerpted from “National Transformation Strategy: Towards Golden Indonesia 2045,” pages 169, 4th softcover edition]
It’s no secret that the salaries of teachers, lecturers, civil servants (ASN), members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), and the Indonesian National Police (POLRI) do not provide a prosperous standard of living.
In my view, it’s imperative that we appropriately raise the salaries of these state officials. I believe that only with fair compensation can we expect our public servants to work professionally and without corruption.
Moreover, competitive salaries, on par with the private sector, are crucial to attracting the nation’s brightest to careers as teachers, lecturers, civil servants, soldiers, and police officers.
As the Minister of Defense, I am responsible for the military’s payroll. Frankly, it disturbs me, and I struggle to sleep knowing how our soldiers’ welfare compares to that of those in neighboring countries, let alone the United States. In fact, a corporal’s salary in the U.S. exceeds that of a general in Indonesia.
So, does our country have the financial means to increase the salaries of teachers, lecturers, civil servants, military, and police personnel? My answer is that it must. We need to find ways to boost state revenue to make this possible.
