Finance Minister Purbaya Says LPDP Funds Come from Public Taxes, Demands Repayment If Recipients Insult the Nation

Jakarta, VIVA – Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has reminded all recipients of scholarships from the Education Fund Management Institution (LPDP) that the funds used to pursue their studies originate from public taxes.

Purbaya made the statement in response to the controversy surrounding an LPDP alumnus with the initials DS, whose social media posts went viral. DS’s remarks drew scrutiny for being perceived as belittling access to an Indonesian passport and failing to demonstrate pride in Indonesian citizenship.

“That money comes from public taxes and partly from debt that we set aside to ensure our human resources can grow. But if it is used to insult the nation, then we will demand the money back with interest,” Purbaya said at the February 2026 edition of the APBN KiTa press conference in Jakarta on Monday.

The Finance Minister expressed regret over the alleged misuse of facilities and attitudes deemed inconsistent with the purpose of the scholarship programme. The government, he continued, would enforce existing regulations to ensure scholarship recipients fulfil all their obligations to LPDP.

“Fundamentally, this is the sort of thing we deeply regret. We will therefore enforce the rules in place at LPDP so that the individual concerned completes their responsibilities to the institution,” he said.

The state treasurer also disclosed that the LPDP Director General had already been in communication with the individual concerned, and that DS’s husband, identified by the initials AP, had agreed to return the scholarship funds.

“The LPDP Director General has spoken with the husband of DS, and he has agreed to return the money used from LPDP, including interest. I hope that in future, those who receive LPDP funding will refrain from insulting the nation,” he said.

Beyond the repayment of funds, Purbaya is also considering firm measures including blacklisting across all government institutions for those deemed to have violated their commitments and ethical obligations as state scholarship recipients.