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Minister denies reshuffle plan as salary cuts remain undecided

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s State Secretariat Minister Prasetyo Hadi said the government has not discussed any plans for a cabinet reshuffle or salary cuts for ministers and lawmakers.“Those discourses have yet to be discussed,” he told reporters at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on Wednesday.He stressed that President Prabowo Subianto has no intention of reshuffling the Red and White Cabinet in the near term.Hadi said the president continues to evaluate the performance of cabinet members to ensure government programs remain on track.“The cabinet is under constant evaluation,” he said, adding that such reviews “do not necessarily lead to a reshuffle.”On the issue of possible pay cuts, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said the government would hold internal discussions in the coming days.Speaking to reporters at the palace on Tuesday (April 7), he emphasized that no decision has been made on the proposal, which emerged amid efforts to improve budget efficiency across state institutions.Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has signaled openness to the idea, particularly regarding potential reductions in ministers’ salaries.“I do not know about reducing lawmakers’ pay, but I do not oppose cuts for ministers,” he said in Jakarta earlier, noting that President Prabowo would make the final decision.He added that any salary reduction could reach around 25 percent.On March 19, Purbaya said the Finance Ministry would directly determine spending cuts across ministries and state agencies to protect the state budget from global economic pressures linked to Middle East tensions.He said the policy would focus on trimming non-essential expenditures, including unnecessary meetings and programs deemed less urgent.The minister added that extending efficiency measures to salaries could demonstrate officials’ commitment to strengthening state finances.