Indonesia distributes 900,000 rupiah wage subsidy to 13.3 million workers

Indonesia's government announced a fourth-quarter 2026 wage subsidy programme targeting 13.3 million workers, distributing a total of 900,000 rupiah per worker over three months beginning in October 2026. The subsidy will be paid in a single lump sum of 300,000 rupiah per month for October, November, and December, rather than monthly disbursements. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto announced the plan following a restricted meeting with President Prabowo Subianto at the Presidential Palace on 30 September 2026.

The government has budgeted approximately 12 trillion rupiah for the programme, which forms part of broader economic stimulus measures for the final quarter of 2026. According to officials, the subsidy is designed to maintain consumer purchasing power among lower-wage workers and strengthen national economic resilience. However, the government has not yet finalised the technical implementation details or official disbursement schedule, stating it is still preparing the required ministerial regulations.

Based on the 2025 wage subsidy criteria, eligibility typically includes Indonesian citizens with national identification numbers who are active participants in the BPJS Ketenagakerjaan social security programme in the wage-earning category, earn no more than 3.5 million rupiah monthly, and are not civil servants, military personnel, or police officers. Workers may check their eligibility status through official government portals including the Ministry of Manpower website (bsu.kemnaker.go.id), the BPJS Ketenagakerjaan platform, the JMO mobile application, and the PosPay service, though as of early October 2026, some portals remained under preparation for the 2026 programme.

The 2026 programme follows a 2025 wage subsidy in which the government targeted 15 million workers with a 600,000 rupiah subsidy for June and July 2025, though actual disbursements reached 8.3 million workers. Payments in both years are channelled through state-owned banks including BNI, BRI, BTN, Mandiri, and BSI, or through PT Pos Indonesia for workers without accounts at these institutions.