According to the Center of Economic and Law Studies (Celios), the large number of members in President Prabowo Subianto's "Red and White Cabinet" has the potential to drive up wasteful government spending.
"The increasing number of appointed deputy ministers will increase state expenditure, including salaries for support staff, procurement of official vehicles, office facilities, and pension payments for ministers and deputy ministers," said Celios researcher Galau D. Muhammad in a press release (October 17, 2024).
Based on Celios' calculations, President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi's) cabinet, consisting of 34 ministers and 17 deputy ministers, is estimated to cost Rp387.6 billion per year.
Meanwhile, in Prabowo's cabinet, assuming there are 49 ministers and 59 deputy ministers, the estimated budget required reaches Rp777 billion per year.
"So, in 5 years, the increase in the [Prabowo-era cabinet] budget is estimated to reach approximately Rp1.95 trillion," said the Celios team in their report.
"In an effort to minimize budget waste and disregard for meritocracy in the appointment of strategic officials, there is no other way than to strengthen the mechanisms for budget oversight and transparency in the management of public resources," they said.