LPDP Reveals 44 Scholarship Recipients Sanctioned, 8 Ordered to Return Funds
Jakarta — The President Director of the Education Fund Management Institution (LPDP), Sudarto, has reported that 44 scholarship recipients (awardees) have been sanctioned for failing to meet their service obligations as required under the programme’s terms.
Of that number, eight individuals have been ordered to return the scholarship funds they received, whilst the remaining 36 cases are still being processed.
“We have conducted reviews of perhaps more than 600 awardees, and from that number, those who have been formally sanctioned — including repayment orders — total eight people, with 36 more still being processed,” Sudarto said at the APBN KiTa press conference in Jakarta on Monday.
Sudarto explained that the data was obtained through access to immigration crossing records from the Directorate General of Immigration, public reports, and monitoring of awardees’ social media activity.
He stressed that not all reports automatically result in a finding of violation. Some scholarship recipients are still within their internship periods or are in the process of establishing businesses abroad for two years, which is permitted under the scholarship recipient handbook.
Others have already completed their service period or received official assignments from their respective institutions.
“Each case will be processed objectively and proportionally. We will of course continue to uphold public trust, as these are public funds that must be returned and must deliver the greatest possible benefit for Indonesia,” he said.
Regarding sanctions, Sudarto stated that awardees found in violation may be required to return their scholarship funds along with interest, and may be blocked from participating in future LPDP programmes. These provisions are already stipulated in the agreements signed by scholarship recipients.
On the matter of an LPDP alumna with the initials DS who went viral on social media, Sudarto expressed his regret over the incident.
“Such conduct certainly does not reflect the values of integrity, ethics, and nationalism that LPDP consistently instils in its scholarship recipients,” he said.
At the same event, Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa disclosed that the husband of the LPDP alumna identified as DS, who has been the subject of public scrutiny, has expressed his willingness to return the scholarship funds received, including interest.
“The head of LPDP has already spoken with the husband in question. And he appears to have agreed to return the money used from LPDP. That includes the interest, mind you. LPDP funds — if I had deposited that money in a bank, there would be interest, wouldn’t there? It’s a fair treatment,” he added.