Puan Reminds That Teacher Allowance Direct Transfers Must Be Right On Target

JAKARTA - The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Puan Maharani, welcomed the government's policy regarding the provision of allowances for the teacher of the state civil apparatus (ASN) which will be directly transferred to the teacher's personal account without going through the Regional Government (Pemda).

Puan reminded that the direct transfer of teacher allowances should be given on target.

Puan assessed that this policy could reduce unnecessary bureaucracy, and ensure teachers receive their rights on time.

"Even so, this policy should not only be seen as an administrative technical step, but must be guarded with a clear mechanism so as not to cause new problems related to transparency, accountability, and sustainability of the allowance payment system for ASN teachers," said Puan Maharani, Tuesday, March 18.

But Puan assessed that, without a strong system and the involvement of various parties, this policy could pose new challenges in terms of transparency and accountability.

"Although direct allowance transfers to teacher accounts can be seen as a more practical solution, there are several challenges that need to be considered by the Government. Namely monitoring the accuracy of recipient data," he said.

"Without a strong verification and validation system, there is a potential for errors in the data on the recipients of allowances, either due to discrepancies in the data of active teachers, changes in employment status, or the possibility of administrative errors in the state financial system," he added.

Puan reminded the government to ensure that the mechanism for paying allowances can run fairly, on target, and sustainably to ensure the welfare of teachers who have a crucial role in educating the nation's life.

"The government must ensure that this system does not ignore aspects of legality in disbursement of funds and does not trigger a transfer error that harms ASN teachers themselves," said Bung Karno's grandson.

In addition, said Puan, there needs to be a clear monitoring mechanism so that funds are actually given to those who are entitled without eliminating control over the performance and responsibility of ASN teachers. This policy, according to her, must also be supported by a digital system that is safe and free from potential data leakage or misappropriation.

"The government must ensure that this direct disbursement system will continue to function optimally without technical problems or bureaucratic problems in the future," he said.

Puan stated that the DPR will continue to oversee this policy so that it really provides benefits for ASN teachers and improves the quality of national education. The government, he said, must also ensure that every ASN teacher who receives the allowance has gone through a strict and accurate verification system.

"It is also important to update recipient data periodically and openly to be audited to prevent irregularities or inaccuracy in disbursement of allowances," said Puan.

Puan also supports government policies that continue to provide professional allowances for non-civil servant teachers which are increased from Rp. 1.5 million to Rp. 2 million per person per month. Including the provision of assistance of Rp. 300 thousand to Rp. 500 thousand for non-certification honorary teachers.

"In addition to ASN teachers, private teachers, honorary staff, and teachers at Islamic boarding schools are also very instrumental in Indonesian education services. The state must give appreciation for their contribution," concluded Puan.

The government has officially implemented a new policy related to the mechanism for providing allowances for ASN teachers. The allowance will be directly transferred to the teacher's personal account without going through the local government. This direct allowance will be paid directly to the teachers starting March 2025.

These allowances include Teacher Professional Allowances (TPG) and Teacher Special Allowances (TKG) for teachers who already have educator certificates, as well as Additional Income (Tamsil) for those who have not received educator certification.

The amount of allowances for TPG and TKG is equivalent to one basic salary, while Tamsil is given IDR 250 thousand per month, which will be directly transferred to the accounts of each teacher. Disbursement of allowances is done every three months, starting in March for Quarter I, June for Quarter II, September for Quarter III, and November for Quarter IV.

The purpose of providing allowances for regional ASN and PPPK teachers that were previously channeled through the local government using the Non-Physical Special Allocation Fund (DAK) is now directly transferred by the Ministry of Finance to increase bureaucratic efficiency and avoid delays in disbursing funds to 1.47 million teachers due to complicated administration.