Realization Data of Employee Spending During Jokowi's Era Shows Consistent Increase

Based on data from the central government's financial reports (LKPP) of the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu), the realization of government employee expenditure through the central government during President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi) administration has consistently increased every year.

At the beginning of his term in 2014, the realization of employee expenditure reached Rp243.71 trillion. This figure fulfilled 94.31% of the budget in the state revenue and expenditure budget (APBN) that year. The 2014 realization also increased from Rp221.68 trillion in 2013.

The largest increase in expenditure occurred in 2015, reaching Rp281.14 trillion, or an increase of more than Rp37 trillion, which proportionally represents 15.35% compared to 2014.

Another significant increase occurred in 2018, reaching Rp346.89 trillion. This is an increase of more than Rp34 trillion, or 10.92%, compared to 2017, which was Rp312.72 trillion.

Entering his second term, the realization remained substantial, reaching Rp376.07 trillion in 2019. This is an increase of more than Rp29 trillion, or 8.41% proportionally compared to 2018, which was Rp346.89 trillion.

The latest annual data for 2023 shows an increase to Rp412.71 trillion. The budgeted amount for 2024 is Rp460.86 trillion, and for 2025, it is Rp513.22 trillion in the RAPBN (State Revenue and Expenditure Budget).

It is known that the DPR (House of Representatives) recently passed the Amendment to Law Number 39 of 2008 concerning State Ministries. According to *Katadata*, this regulation eliminates the limit on the number of ministries that can be formed.

The Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (PANRB), Abdullah Azwar Anas, stated that this change will make the government more flexible and adaptive in responding to changing times.

"It provides flexibility for the president to form ministries according to the needs of national development," said Azwar during a plenary session of the DPR in the Parliament Complex, Jakarta, Thursday (September 19, 2024), as quoted from *Antaranews*.

The Bill on State Ministries had previously been approved by the Legislation Body (Baleg) to be brought to the Plenary Session. This amendment to the law is being carried out amidst news of President-elect Prabowo Subianto's plan to increase the number of ministries.

The Secretary General of the Gerindra Party, Ahmad Muzani, said that Prabowo has specific reasons for creating a larger cabinet. Prabowo, according to Muzani, hopes that a larger cabinet will be more focused on implementing his programs.

Meanwhile, according to *Kontan*, this regulation will have an impact on the addition of more politically-oriented ministries, according to the Chairman of the Indonesian Policy Analyst Association (AAKI), Trubus Rahadiansyah. Trubus stated that the purpose of governance should be to create increasingly effective budget implementation, public services, and bureaucracy.

From a budgetary perspective, Trubus believes that adding ministries will swell the APBN. This is because employee expenses, operational expenses, travel expenses, and others will increase.

"We must ensure that public trust does not decrease due to the ineffectiveness of government administration," said Trubus when contacted by *Kontan*, Monday (July 1, 2024).

(See also: Budget for Employee Expenditure Reaches Rp513.22 Trillion in the 2025 RAPBN)