Salary and Allowances of DPR RI Members: 27x Higher Than Indonesian Average Minimum Wage (UMR)

3 min read

The salary and allowances of the DPR RI (Indonesian House of Representatives) members—has recently captured national attention. While the base salary may appear modest, supplementary allowances and benefits have sparked outrage amid rising economic hardships.

This article explores the full breakdown of parliamentary compensation, the sources of controversy, and the implications for public trust.

1. Base Salary of DPR RI Members

2. Breakdown of Regular Allowances

According to recent DetikFinance and Liputan6 reports, members receive multiple allowances, including:

Position Allowance: IDR 9,700,000 (for rank-and-file members)
Honorary Allowance: IDR 5,580,000
Intensive Communication Allowance: IDR 15,554,000
Oversight & Budget Function Allowance: IDR 3,750,000
Meeting/Session Allowance (“uang sidang/paket”): IDR 2,000,000
Rice Allowance: ca. IDR 30,090 per person (up to 4 jiwa)
Electricity & Telephone Subsidy: IDR 7,700,000
Spousal Allowance: IDR 420,000
Child Allowance: IDR 168,000 per child (up to 2 children)
PPh Article 21 Allowance: up to IDR 2,699,813

3. New Housing, Rice & Fuel Allowances Add to the Mix

In mid-2025, several new or increased allowances were introduced:

Housing Allowance: IDR 50,000,000 per month (replaces the former state-provided official residence)
Rice Allowance: increased from IDR approx. 10 million to IDR 12 million per month
Fuel Allowance: increased from approx. IDR 4–5 million to IDR 7 million per month

These adjustments significantly inflated the compensation package.

4. The Total Estimated Monthly Income

Based on NGO analyses and media investigations:

Take-home pay can reach around IDR 100 million per month, combining all salary, allowances, and benefits.
Forum Indonesia untuk Transparansi Anggaran (Fitra) estimates the total can soar to IDR 230 million per month, or roughly IDR 2.76 trillion annually.
(Indonesia at Melbourne, Wikipedia)

Such figures have fueled public criticism, particularly considering modest teacher salaries and high living costs faced by many Indonesians.

5. Public Reaction and Controversy

The public backlash has been intense:

Protests erupted when news of the IDR 50 million housing allowance broke out, viewed as excessive amid economic hardship.
Nationwide demonstrations followed, culminating in unrest that claimed lives and destroyed property, prompting political and legal debate.
Government response: President Prabowo Subianto pledged to revoke the housing allowance and suspend overseas trips for parliamentarians to quell public anger.

6. Implications for Transparency and Accountability

Scholars and activists argue that such generous allowances undermine trust in public institutions:

Critics warn of a broader ethical dilemma, suggesting inflated allowances could erode legislative accountability and breed public skepticism.
All compensation is funded by the state budget (APBN), potentially diverting resources from education, healthcare, and social welfare.
The absence of transparent tracking of lump-sum allowances, such as housing, raises concerns about misuse and lack of oversight.

Conclusion

While the base salaries of DPR RI members are relatively modest—ranging from IDR 4.2 million to IDR 5 million per month—the array of allowances dramatically inflates their total compensation.

Recent policy changes—particularly the introduction of a house rent allowance of IDR 50 million per month, alongside elevated rice and fuel subsidies—have pushed their estimated monthly earnings into the IDR 100–230 million range which is estimated 27 times higher than Indonesian average minimum wage/UMR.

This has sparked widespread public outrage, igniting protests and prompting the government to roll back controversial perks. The episode underscores the urgent need for greater fiscal transparency, legislative accountability, and equitable public policy that balances representative compensation with broader societal needs.

The Author

Zulhilmi Yahya