Gus Ipul Asserts School Shoes Price Mark-Up Issue for People's School is a Hoax

“That is slander, a hoax,” he asserted in a written statement on Tuesday (5/5/2026). Gus Ipul also displayed excerpts of the narrative along with photos on a digital screen, featuring images of himself and East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa handing shoes to People’s School students. The photo was a snippet from documentation of the Dialog on Social Pillars across Greater Malang on 2 May. Meanwhile, the shoes provided were gifts from Khofifah to 10 People’s School students, sourced from the East Java Provincial Government’s APBD, not from the Ministry of Social Affairs procurement. “The shoes from Mrs Khofifah are gifts, assistance from Mrs Khofifah for People’s School students in East Java,” Gus Ipul explained. Therefore, he continued, comparing one photo of a specific branded shoe circulating on social media with the overall procurement of shoes for People’s School students is inaccurate. This is because each type of shoe has different functions, specifications, and prices. Regardless of the controversy arising from the inaccurate information above, Gus Ipul still appreciated the public for actively monitoring government programmes, including the People’s School. “We thank the public for providing opinions, conducting oversight, reminding, and continuously monitoring Ministry of Social Affairs programmes,” he said. As proof of transparency, Gus Ipul outlined the full procurement process for People’s School students’ shoes, including specifications and prices. He explained that the Rp700,000 price for a pair of shoes that circulated and was narrated differently is the budget ceiling (maximum limit), not the actual purchase price. Gus Ipul assured that the entire procurement process was carried out in accordance with regulations, through a transparent and competitive mechanism, with the principle of the best offer meeting specifications as the basis for determining the winner. Therefore, he urged the public to understand circulating information holistically to avoid misconceptions about programme implementation. “In this shoe procurement for People’s School students, it certainly goes through established procedures and procurement mechanisms. The responsible parties are the PPK or Pokja; they are accountable for that. The process is done with a pre-determined budget ceiling,” he explained. He added that the budget ceiling is set through surveys and applicable mechanisms, followed by a competitive procurement process. “The winner is naturally the cheapest one that meets specifications and standards,” he continued. In 2025, the procurement of People’s School students’ shoes was recorded. Each student receives several types of shoes to support various activities, namely: - PDL (Field Duty Uniform) shoes for outdoor activities - PDH (Daily Duty Uniform) shoes for classroom learning activities - Sports shoes for physical activities - Casual/daily shoes for use in the dormitory environment Gus Ipul revealed that all types of shoes include socks, so students’ basic needs are met without additional costs. Besides PDL shoes with a Rp700,000 budget ceiling and realised prices below that, there are other types of shoes at lower prices, around Rp200,000 to Rp300,000, depending on the type and purpose. Gus Ipul emphasised that he, along with Deputy Minister Agus Jabo and the entire Ministry of Social Affairs apparatus, strive to maintain integrity in every procurement process for goods and services. “I and Mr Deputy Minister are committed from the start not to intervene, not to interfere, not to favour, not to direct the goods and services procurement processes in the Ministry of Social Affairs,” he said. He also stressed that all goods procurement processes are under supervision and open to audits. Thus, any deviations will be detected and processed legally. “If there is strong evidence of deviations, it will be processed legally. So I repeatedly convey, together with Mr Deputy Minister, to the Ministry of Social Affairs apparatus not to commit deviations. If there is evidence, we will be the first to report to law enforcement authorities,” Gus Ipul concluded.