TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Finance Minister Sri Mulyani said that the government continued to expedite the bill concerning the salary hike for the civil servant which is amounted to five percent this year.

“We will finish it as soon as possible,” said Sri Mulyani Monday, March 11, at the Parliament Complex, Jakarta.

The minister ensured that the budget is ready because it had been listed in the 2019 State Budget. “So it is only about the implementation.”

During a plenary meeting on the 2019 State Budget in August last year, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo announced the government would raise the basic salary and basic pension for state civil apparatus (ASN), including civil servants (PNS) and retiree, by 5 percent on average in 2019.

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According to Sri Mulyani, the regulation would be stipulated in the Government Decree (PP). The bill will note the salary hike by 5 percent and recommendations proposed by ministries and institutions.

“We have a tight timeframe. They [ministries and institutions] must calculate the number of employees and the total increase, so the figure in the bill will be specified per ministry,” said Sri Mulyani, adding that the Finance Ministry would issue a policy on the matter.

As of date, the bill on the salary hike for civil servant had been inked by President Jokowi and on the settlement process. “The attachment is thick because it notes data of each ministry, the number of employees and the position that will earn the increase,” she said. “That may take time, but all the process will be through good management based on the prevailing law.”

CAESAR AKBAR