People Hit The Street, Reject Budget Efficiency and Demanding Government Action

Source: LPM Campus

Solo, LPM Campus – Recent demonstrations held at Surakarta DPRD Building, despite the heavy rain, people taking to the streets to voice their concerns over budget efficiency and government policies. This action took place from two in the afternoon until six in the evening, Wednesday (19/2/2025). 

There is the six demand that were made:

1.       Demanding to revoke Presidential Instruction (Inpres) Number 1 of 2025 because it cuts the budget from important sectors including education and health.

2.       Demanding to evaluate the Free Nutritious Meal program.

3.       Rejected the Police, TNI and Attorney Bill, which was considered to give excessive authority to law enforcement officials and had the potential to cause abuse of power.

4.       Passing the Indigenous Peoples Bill to protect the rights of indigenous peoples, who have been neglected and harmed by various development policies that are not in their favor.

5.       Urging Prabowo to issue a PerPPU on Asset Forfeiture to eradicate corruption that is increasingly rampant in Indonesia.

6.       Realize the Lecturer Performance Allowance Budget to improve the welfare of lecturers and the quality of education in Indonesia.

One such demonstrator, Rizky Firmansyah, a student from the Faculty of Law at UMS (Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta), shared his motivations and perspectives on the issues at hand. He joined the demonstration with a small group of friends, expressed his frustration with the current economic policies, particularly the increase in Value Added Tax (VAT). Coming from a family with a small business background, he understands the impact of such policies on small-scale traders. “My parents have a spare parts repair shop,” Rizky explained.

“With the increased VAT, even a small 1% increase is significant for merchants. It affects our purchasing power and makes it difficult to manage costs.”

He further elaborated on the broader implications, stating that the rising costs make it difficult for the common people to make ends meet while those in power seem to live comfortably, potentially engaging in corrupt practices. This sentiment fueled his decision to participate in the protest.

When asked about the role of students in addressing these issues, Rizky emphasized the importance of providing constructive criticism. He believes that those in power may not fully understand the struggles of the working class. “As students, we should give constructive criticism,” he stated. “Maybe those up there don’t understand the plight of workers. We are struggling, while they live comfortably.”

Source: LPM Campus

The protesters said that if in 3 days, their demands were not met then they would bring more people to the center. Rizky believes that if negotiations with the DPRD Surakarta (Regional People’s Representative Assembly) fail to yield positive results, the demonstrations should continue. “In my opinion, the demonstrations should continue until it hurts (the government get the same pain with us),” he asserted, expressing his determination to fight for a more equitable system.

Despite their busy schedules as students and daily activities, many people still show awareness towards the issues at stake. People participation reflects a growing sentiment among Indonesian citizen and  who are demanding greater transparency and accountability in government spending and economic policies.

The demonstration that was carried out from noon produced a sweet result with a statement of attitude from the Surakarta DPRD, the demonstration ended peacefully and there was no riot. With this action proves that the people of Solo Raya are not just silent about the state of the country.

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Transcript: Vira Julang Wibawa/Civil Engineering’24

Writer: Nurhabibah Khoirtounnisa/Faculty of Medicine’24

Editor: Naufal Ahmad Alfian / Communication ‘22