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View all search resultsJakarta council housing perks triggers another uproar
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University students from the Indonesian Student Executive Board Alliance scatter flower petals during a demonstration to reiterate the “17+8 People’s Demands”, a platform of short-term and long-term reform demands raised during recent protests to lawmakers in front of the House of Representatives complex in Jakarta on Sept. 4, 2025. (AFP/Tyo Pribadi).
Usage: 0 (AFP/Tyo Pribadi)
J
akarta City Council has come under public scrutiny over its lavish housing allowance, reportedly surpassing the benefits previously given to House of Representatives members, which sparked the recent weeklong protests nationwide.
Critics argue that the Rp 70 million allowance (US$4,228) is ill-timed and exacerbates economic inequality, as soaring property prices and limited land continue to put homeownership out of reach for many Jakarta residents.
A gubernatorial decree issued by former governor Anies Baswedan in 2022 grants the allowance to each council member, roughly 13 times the city’s minimum wage. The benefits have gradually increased over the years.
Combined, the total monthly housing perks for all 106 councilors could cover the cost of 40 highest-tier subsidized homes in the capital, each priced at a maximum of Rp 185 million under current regulations.
Last Thursday, protesters gathered in front of the City Council building in Central Jakarta, demanding revisions to the allowance arrangement, which they deemed extravagant amid the current economic climate.
Read also: President reshuffles cabinet after weeklong protest, replacing Sri mulyani
The pressure rose after heated nationwide protests took place over lawmakers’ monthly housing allowance of Rp 50 million, which were exacerbated by subsequent repressive measures that resulted in at least 10 deaths, four missing, more than a thousand injured and approximately 5,400 detained.
