Academics Appreciate Government’s Quick Steps in Responding to Lecturer Welfare Aspirations

Jakarta – The government has received appreciation from academics for its quick steps in responding to lecturer welfare aspirations, especially regarding the disbursement of performance allowances (tukin) for State Civil Apparatus (ASN) lecturers. This policy is considered as real evidence of the government’s commitment to improving the welfare of educators in higher education.

With a budget allocation of IDR 2.5 trillion that has been approved by the Ministry of Finance, the disbursement of lecturer allowances is scheduled to begin in 2025. Various academic figures and stakeholders have also welcomed this step positively, while hoping that its implementation will run smoothly and in accordance with the expectations of lecturers throughout Indonesia.

Deputy Chairman of Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Lalu Hadrian Irfani, stated that the budget of IDR 2.5 trillion for ASN lecturer allowances has been approved by the Ministry of Finance.

“Alhamdulillah, the IDR 2.5 trillion for ASN lecturers’ allowances has been approved and will be realized in 2025,” he said.

He added that currently the disbursement process is only waiting for the finalization of regulations, including the completion of the Presidential Regulation (Perpres) and the Regulation of the Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Permendiktisaintek) which regulate the implementation mechanism.

The Chancellor of the State University of Surabaya (Unesa), Prof. Dr. Nurhasan, M.Kes., appreciated the commitment and quick steps of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology in responding to lecturers’ aspirations regarding tukin.

“We really appreciate the commitment and quick steps of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology in responding to lecturers’ aspirations regarding tukin. This shows the government’s concern for the welfare of lecturers,” he explained.

However, behind this good news, there are dynamics that need to be observed. Previously, in December 2024, the Acting Secretary General of the Ministry of Education and Science and Technology, Prof. Togar M. Simatupang, stated that funds for tukin had not been budgeted in the 2025 State Budget.

“Currently, funds for tukin have not been budgeted in the 2025 State Budget,” he said.

Responding to this development, the Chairperson of the Campus Workers Union (SPK), Dhia Al Uyun, emphasized the importance of realizing performance allowances for lecturers.

“Based on our research, 61 percent of 1,200 lecturers receive a net salary of less than IDR 3 million. In fact, the salaries of lecturers at private universities are often lower than daily workers,” said Dhia.

The government’s quick steps in accommodating the aspirations of lecturers’ welfare should be appreciated as a form of real commitment to improving the quality of higher education in Indonesia. The decision to allocate a budget for lecturers’ tukin shows the government’s seriousness in appreciating the role of academics as the main pillar in producing superior generations. It is hoped that this policy can continue with transparent and sustainable implementation, so that lecturers’ welfare will increase and have a positive impact on the quality of national education.