Social Affairs Minister Gus Ipul Assures Follow-Up on BPK Audit Findings

Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf, known as Gus Ipul, has stressed that his ministry is proactively following up on every recommendation from the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK). This is part of an effort to improve financial governance. “Yes, we are specifically following up on the BPK’s recommendations. Every year we receive recommendations to improve our financial reports. So, whenever there is a recommendation or a finding, we create an action plan,” Gus Ipul said in a press statement on Wednesday (15/7/2026). The statement was made during a Working Meeting with House of Representatives (DPR RI) Commission VIII on the 2nd floor of the Nusantara Building. The meeting discussed the Central Government Financial Report (LKPP) for the 2025 State Budget (APBN). Gus Ipul added that discussing the BPK recommendations with Commission VIII is a crucial part of ensuring all follow-up actions can be completed. “So this is very important, especially today as we specifically discuss these findings with the DPR, Commission VIII. Commission VIII can help, encourage, and ensure that all recommendations are followed up by the Ministry of Social Affairs,” he explained. One of the follow-up actions taken concerns a BPK finding regarding 1,747 assistants for the Family Hope Programme (PKH) who were suspected of holding double jobs. After an in-depth review, 833 assistants were verified. Of that number, 141 assistants were found to be working full-time at other institutions or workplaces. According to Gus Ipul, this constitutes a violation, and those involved are required to return the income they received while holding double jobs. Meanwhile, 692 other assistants were found to have part-time jobs. This condition was previously permitted when they held honorary status, provided it did not interfere with their working hours as assistants. He added that the various BPK findings serve as material for the Ministry of Social Affairs to strengthen financial governance and future programme implementation. Based on online monitoring data of the state treasury and budget system as of 2 January 2026, the Ministry of Social Affairs’ budget realisation for the 2025 fiscal year reached Rp109.77 trillion, or 97.33 percent of the total ceiling of Rp112.78 trillion. The remaining budget of Rp3.01 trillion, or 2.67 percent, consists of leftover personnel expenditure, social assistance spending, capital expenditure, and a blocked budget for 2025 amounting to Rp488.66 billion. “We undertook this rationalisation step as part of our commitment to budget efficiency, while prioritising allocations for spending that directly impacts the community,” Gus Ipul said. During the meeting, Gus Ipul also explained the follow-up to several BPK notes on the 2025 Fiscal Year Financial Report. For controlling social assistance recipient data, the Ministry has issued Ministerial Regulation No. 3 of 2025 on the Updating and Use of the National Single Social and Economic Data (DTSEN), as well as Ministerial Decree No. 245/HUK/2025 on Procedures for Submitting Data Proposals and Verification and Validation of DTSEN. In addition, the Ministry is consolidating with Statistics Indonesia (BPS) and local governments to accelerate ground checking, and conducting trials for the digitalisation of social assistance in Banyuwangi and 43 other regencies/cities. Regarding the distribution of social assistance, post-distribution reconciliation has been carried out with banks and PT Pos Indonesia, notifications are sent to local governments after the Fund Disbursement Order (SP2D) is issued, distribution is examined by the Commitment Making Officer (PPK), and evaluation and monitoring are conducted jointly with local governments and social assistants. For the administration of inventories and State Property (BMN), the Ministry has carried out physical stock-taking, asset reconciliation, and inventory to ensure that the recording of supplies and assets is conducted in an orderly and reliable manner. Gus Ipul also conveyed that the implementation of the 2026 budget faces several needs arising from field conditions, such as post-disaster management in Sumatra and improving the quality of DTSEN. The Ministry has proposed additional budgets in January and June 2026. Furthermore, the Ministry is strengthening social empowerment programmes as part of efforts to increase community self-reliance. “We prioritise empowerment programmes, because this is the ultimate goal of community self-reliance so that they do not depend on social assistance forever,” Gus Ipul stressed. Based on the results of a ministerial-level meeting between the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, and the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), the target for the 2026 Social Economic Empowerment Programme (PPSE) has been increased from 15,000 to 165,000 Beneficiary Families (KPM). The budget requirement for this addition reaches Rp825 billion and does not come from a new budget submission, but rather through a reallocation of unspent social assistance funds from the first and second quarters, as well as adjustments to the target for non-cash food assistance (BPNT) recipients, in accordance with discussions with the Ministry of Finance and Bappenas.