House Commission VIII Approves Rp 22.49 Trillion Budget Boost for Social Affairs Ministry

The House of Representatives (DPR) Commission VIII has approved an additional budget of Rp 22.49 trillion for the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) for the 2027 fiscal year. The approval was granted during a working meeting at the Nusantara DPR Building in Jakarta on Wednesday (17/6/2026).

Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf (Gus Ipul) stated the additional funding is crucial to fulfil three mandates outlined in the 2025-2029 National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN). These mandates include reducing extreme poverty to below 0.5 percent by 2026, lowering the national poverty rate to between 4.5 and 5 percent by 2029, and graduating 1.5 million beneficiary families (KPM) from social assistance annually until 2029.

Gus Ipul explained that the indicative budget ceiling for the Ministry in 2027, initially set at Rp 84.71 trillion, was technically insufficient to meet all RPJMN targets. He highlighted a concrete gap in the Social Economic Empowerment (PPSE) graduation programme, where the current ceiling only covers 10,000 families against a target of 390,000 beneficiaries per year.

Furthermore, the Sekolah Rakyat programme, mandated by Presidential Regulation 120 of 2025, faces a shortfall of Rp 3.64 trillion from its Rp 4.9 trillion allocation to fund over 100,000 students in 2027. The indicative budget also lacked any allocation for direct, sustainable assistance to 1.46 million impoverished elderly and single-disability individuals.

With the approval, the total proposed gap of Rp 22.49 trillion will be met, bringing the Ministry’s total budget for 2027 to Rp 107.20 trillion. Commission VIII Chairman Marwan Dasopang confirmed the approval, stating the DPR agrees to the indicative budget ceiling and the proposed additional funds for the Ministry of Social Affairs.