Prabowo Raises Military Allowances via New Perpres

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto has increased performance allowances, locally known as tukin, for Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) personnel and Ministry of Defense employees through two presidential regulations after approximately eight years without adjustments.The allowance hike for military personnel was stipulated through Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 42 of 2026 regarding Performance Allowances for Employees within the Indonesian National Armed Forces.Meanwhile, the raise for defense ministry personnel was issued under Presidential Regulation No. 43 of 2026 concerning Performance Allowances for Employees within the Ministry of Defense.Speaking in Jakarta on Thursday, the Head of the Defense Information Bureau at the Ministry of Defense, Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, confirmed that the ministry has received copies of both decrees. "This policy will be implemented in line with existing regulations," he said.Signed by President Prabowo in Jakarta earlier this month, the two decrees replace Presidential Regulation No. 102 of 2018 and Presidential Regulation No. 104 of 2018."Since 2018, the Ministry of Defense and the TNI have seen no adjustments to their performance allowance index. Meanwhile, their various duties and responsibilities continue to expand, from safeguarding national sovereignty to supporting strategic government programs like disaster management, food security, rural development, and border security," Rico said.He noted that the allowance adjustment would be a recognition following the government's recent bureaucratic reform evaluation."From our perspective at the Ministry of Defense, we welcome this policy as a gesture of appreciation for the achievements of our bureaucratic reform and the enhanced performance of both the ministry and the military," Rico said.He added that for defense personnel, the increase acts as a catalyst to bolster professionalism, accountability, and the caliber of public service to the nation.Under the updated regulations, the allowance figures are scaled according to specific job classifications across the military and defense ministry. Consequently, payouts correlate directly with each individual's rank and position within the structural hierarchy.Breakdown of Allowance Amounts for SoldiersAccording to the appendix detailing military allowances, the rate for Class 1 personnel, typically comprising entry-level soldiers, has been set at Rp2.5 million. This reflects an increase of roughly Rp600,000 from the previous rate of approximately Rp1.9 million.Meanwhile, under the new framework, the allowance range for Classes 2 through 8 spans from Rp2,931,100 to Rp5,472,100.Moving up to Classes 9 through 11, personnel will receive between Rp6,276,600 and Rp9,852,300.For job grades 12 through 14, allowances range between Rp11,133,000 and Rp19,485,000. Those in job grade 15 will receive Rp21,690,000, while grade 16 receives Rp30,058,800, and grade 17 receives Rp37,395,000.For three-star postings, including the TNI Chief of General Staff and the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, the allowance stands at Rp44,874,000.At the apex, four-star positions like the Armed Forces Chief of Staff draw the top allowance tier of Rp48,613,500.Read: SMRC Survey: Prabowo Would Lose if Election Were Held TodayClick here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News