PSI Cadres Enter Forestry Ministry's FOLU Team, Salary Tens of Millions, Competence Questioned

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - Several members of the Indonesian Solidarity Party, or PSI, were appointed by the Minister of Forestry, who is also a PSI politician, Raja Juli Antoni, as part of the Operation Management Office team for Indonesia's Forestry and Other Land Use Net Sink 2030. Their salaries amount to tens of millions of rupiah. The appointment of PSI members to this team has been questioned, as it is feared to be merely a distribution of positions without considering competence.

Through the Decree of the Minister of Forestry Number 32 of 2025 concerning Amendments to the Decree of the Minister of Environment and Forestry Number 234 of 2024 regarding the Establishment of the Organizational Structure of the Operation Management Office for Indonesia's Forestry and Other Land Use (FOLU) Net Sink 2030, Minister of Forestry Raja Juli appointed himself as the person in charge as well as the advisor to the Indonesia's FOLU Net Sink 2030 team.

The Indonesia FOLU Net Sink 2030 team is a team formed by the Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut) to implement the government's strategy in reducing carbon emissions in the forestry sector and other land use to achieve the target of zero carbon emissions by 2030.

There are 43 individuals who are part of Indonesia's FOLU Net Sink 2030 team. Among them, at least five have a background as politicians from PSI. These five PSI members hold various positions. They are Andy Budiman serving as the Advisory Council Expert; Kokok Dirgantoro as a member of the Sustainable Forest Management Division; Sigit Widodo as a member of the Carbon Stock Enhancement Division; Yus Ariyanto as a member of the Peatland Ecosystem Management Division; and Suci Mayang Sari as a member of the Law Enforcement and Capacity Building Division.

Quoted from the Minister of Forestry Decree No. 32/2025, those working in the Indonesia's FOLU Net Sink 2030 team will receive monthly honorariums of varying amounts, depending on their position within the team. The person in charge will receive an honorarium of IDR 50 million. Meanwhile, those at the level of expert advisory council will receive a monthly payment of IDR 25 million.

Subsequently, the executive chairman, daily chairpersons I and II, secretary/secretariat coordinator, as well as the heads of divisions, receive a salary of Rp 30 million per month. Meanwhile, division members receive Rp 20 million.

Claim not burdening the APBN

The Spokesperson for the Central Leadership Council (DPP) of PSI, Agus Mulyono Herlambang, confirmed that several PSI members have joined the organizational structure of Indonesia's FOLU Net Sink 2030. According to the statement from the Public Relations of the Ministry of Forestry, the team members consist of civil servants (ASN), retired civil servants, and external parties of the ministry who can assist the team in implementing its programs.

"The Minister (Raja Juli) appointed several non-party professionals and professionals from the party to strengthen the team. This has also happened in the past," said Agus.

Agus also underlined the statement from the Ministry of Forestry's Public Relations that the budget for Indonesia's FOLU Net Sink 2030 team did not come from the State Budget (APBN). This team is fully funded by donors and/or partner countries, in accordance with legal regulations.

"The point is, it will not burden the APBN at all," said Agus.

He also guaranteed that PSI cadres whose names are listed in the Decree of the Minister of Forestry No. 32/2025, have the capacity and integrity. The position of PSI cadres in the Decree is in the secretariat support position. Their task is to assist the minister's work in the field of FOLU administration.

The budget for Indonesia's FOLU Net Sink 2030 team does not come from the state budget. The team is fully funded by donors and/or partner countries, in accordance with legal regulations.

The former General Chairperson of the Indonesian Islamic Student Movement (PMII) stated that the PSI cadres have long worked with Forestry Minister Raja Juli. That way, they will understand the minister's work rhythm more quickly.

"Because I have been helping the Minister (Raja Juli) for a long time, I can immediately work hard," added Agus.

Team selection questionable

Meanwhile, Deputy Chairman of Commission IV of the House of Representatives Alex Indra Lukman through a written statement criticized the process of appointing PSI cadres as the Indonesia's FOLU Net Sink 2030 team by the Minister of Forestry Raja Juli. Raja Juli was also asked to open the entire process of determining the team to the public. Moreover, Raja Juli is the Secretary General of PSI.

"We do not mean to doubt the competence of the personnel appointed, but the public needs to know who selected them and the process," said Alex.

Alex explained that the Indonesia's FOLU Net Sink 2030 team program will be funded through a Norway Contribution grant through the Environmental Fund Management Agency (BPDLH). However, he reminded that this grant should be spent more on funding the program, not on honorariums for team members.

"Looking at the attachment to the decree signed by Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni, it seems that hope will not come true," said Alex.

Observing the personnel filling the FOLU Net Sink 2030 team and the established honorarium system, Alex assessed that the Minister of Forestry Raja Juli was not in the process of realizing good governance and clean government.

This assessment cannot be separated from Alex's observations of the personnel filling various positions in the previous period of Indonesia's FOLU Net Sink team, where the majority were filled by structural officials at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (LHK) and pro-environmental academics.

Therefore, Alex urged Forestry Minister Raja Juli to prioritize the principles of transparency in determining the personnel assigned to the Indonesia's FOLU Net Sink 2030 team.

"If he does not dare to be open, the public will certainly judge the decision of the Minister of Forestry Raja Juli as nothing more than sharing the cake of power among colleagues, which is certainly far from the spirit of President Prabowo Subianto's Asta Cita," said Alex.

Undemocratic

A similar phenomenon actually occurred when the Minister of Cooperatives, Budi Arie Setiadi, inaugurated the Treasurer of Pro Relawan Joko Widodo (Projo) Panel Barus as Deputy for Cooperative Business Development at the Ministry of Cooperatives on January 3, 2025.

Then on January 13, 2025, Minister of Communication and Digital Meutya Hafid inaugurated buzzer Rudi Sutanto alias Rudi Valinka as Special Staff of the Minister for Strategic Communication. At that time, the public strongly criticized the inauguration of the two officials because it was considered nothing more than a distribution of positions after the 2024 Presidential Election (Pilpres).

Public policy observer Agus Pambagio is of the view that the phenomenon of sharing positions that is suspected to have occurred in a number of ministries is very concerning. Moreover, those in it are young people who are expected to have the idealism to fix the declining democracy.

"I regret that young Indonesians are involved (in sharing out positions). There are businessmen, party activists, all young people. They are not unemployed. It would be better if the funds to pay them were directed to creating jobs or tidying up the environment," he said.

This condition, Agus continued, also proves the bad political life of Indonesia. If not fixed, Indonesia will find it difficult to progress in the future, especially with the younger generation who also carry out undemocratic political practices.

"Political costs are very expensive, very wasteful of money. And unfortunately, what is used is state money. plus young people who should lead and build this country well, but it turns out their performance is like this," said Agus.