Investigation into Shoe Procurement, Ministry of Social Affairs to Consult with KPK

Both were given time until next week to report the results of their work. In connection with this, Agus Jabo emphasised that he would not tolerate any form of deviation. “Because I have already committed that if there is any deviation, I and the Minister will take the first step to report it to the law enforcement authorities,” he asserted in a press release on Thursday (7/5/2026). As a sign of seriousness, Agus Jabo explained that he, along with Gus Ipul and the Kemensos team, would meet with KPK leaders tomorrow. “Every step or programme we take, we always consult and collaborate with other parties. So, the plan is indeed for us to go to the KPK tomorrow to seek advice and input so that the procurement programme does not cause any problems,” he said. Specifically regarding the issue of shoe price markups for People’s School students, Agus Jabo assured that it was not true. The polemic, he said, stemmed from a photo of Social Affairs Minister Gus Ipul with East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa handing out shoes to People’s School students. That photo was a snippet from the documentation of a dialogue event with social pillars in Malang on 2 May 2025. The photo was then narrated as shoes budgeted by Kemensos at Rp 700,000 per pair. In fact, those shoes were a donation from Governor Khofifah with different specifications and sourced from the East Java Provincial Budget (APBD). “However, then in the budget allocation, the Kemensos plan for shoe procurement has a value of Rp 700,000—what kind of shoe is that? It is PDL shoes, which naturally have different specifications from daily shoes,” he explained. He emphasised that the Rp 700,000 price is the budget allocation (maximum limit) and not the actual purchase price. Agus Jabo explained that People’s School students each receive various types of shoes, namely PDL shoes, PDH shoes, sports shoes, and daily shoes. “For example, daily shoes in the procurement process are budgeted at around Rp 200,000 to Rp 250,000,” he clarified. Nevertheless, aside from the public polemic based on inaccurate information, Agus Jabo expressed thanks to the public for the input given to Kemensos. He assured that Kemensos would always be transparent in implementing programmes.