TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government planned to increase the civil servant salary and retiree allowance by 5 percent next year. The announcement was delivered by President Joko `Jokowi`Widodo eight months prior to the Presidential Election in July 2019.

"The improvement on quality and bureaucratic motivation will be continuously established, thus state apparatus will be more professional, clear [from graft], and prosperous," said the President regarding the 2019 Draft State Budget (RAPBN) during the plenary meeting at the parliament complex, Jakarta, Thursday, August 16.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani on Friday, August 17, refuted the saying that the president had a political motive behind the plan since Jokowi would run as the incumbent candidate. According to Sri, the salary hike was a common policy and that had been four years since the last raise.

The regulation would be the first surge during Jokowi’s term. The last was stipulated in 2015 Draft State Budget by 6 percent, initiated by the previous president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY).

During SBY’s administration, PNS salary inflated every year by 5 to 20 percent.

Referred to the data of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucrat Reformation (PANRB) Ministry, the highest increase occurred in 2018, at 20 percent. SBY then ruled the rise again in 2009 by 15 percent. His term as President started per October 2004.

The double-digit hike was delivered by SBY in 2009 RAPBN meeting at the parliament building, Jakarta, on August 15, 2008. Eleven months since then, in July 2009, SBY won against Megawati Soekarnoputri and Jusuf Kalla in the presidential race and named as president for a period of 2009-2014.

KEMENPAN RB | FAJAR PEBRIANTO | GHOIDA RAHMAH