Controversy Over Rp27 Billion School Shoes Budget for People's School Programme, Social Minister: All for Students

The budget for procuring school shoes for the Sekolah Rakyat programme, amounting to Rp27 billion, has come under public spotlight. The amount is considered substantial, especially with assumptions that the price per pair could reach Rp700,000.

In response, the Indonesian Social Minister, Saifullah Yusuf alias Gus Ipul, emphasised that the entire budget in the programme is intended for students’ needs.

“For the budgeting, the details can be confirmed further. But fundamentally, our budgeting is all for the students. All for the students,” said Gus Ipul at the Office of the Coordinating Ministry for Community Empowerment, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday, 29 April 2026.

He explained that students’ needs in the Sekolah Rakyat programme extend beyond just shoes to include other basic requirements.

“The point is, the budgeting in Sekolah Rakyat is all for students’ needs, in addition to operational needs. What are the students’ needs? For food, for drink, for uniforms, yes including shoes, and so on,” he stated.

Regarding the price deemed high, Gus Ipul noted that the figure is merely an initial allocation and could change through the procurement process.

“For the price, of course, that’s the allocation. There will be a tender process and so on, so the price could end up cheaper than the existing allocation,” he clarified.

He also stressed that the procurement process will be closely supervised to prevent deviations.

“We have instructed colleagues responsible for procurement at the Ministry of Social Affairs not to mess around. The work is supervised, not only by official institutions but also by the wider public. Do not commit deviations, do not allow intervention by anyone,” he asserted.

Gus Ipul assured that he would not interfere in the process.

“I and the Deputy Minister have committed not to get involved in the procurement process. Do it according to procedure, according to the existing regulations. If there is a violation, I myself will not hesitate to report it to law enforcement authorities,” he said.

Previously, plans for procuring shoes for the Sekolah Rakyat programme had been widely discussed on social media.

Amid budget efficiency policies, the Ministry of Social Affairs is known to have allocated around Rp27 billion for that need in 2026.