Social Affairs Minister Ready to be Audited on Procurement for People's School

Social Affairs Minister (Mensos) Saifullah Yusuf has stated his readiness to be examined and audited regarding the process of procuring goods and services for the People’s School as a form of transparency in budget management and programme implementation within the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos). “We are extremely open to being audited and examined as part of our efforts to ensure there are no deviations in the procurement of goods and services within the Ministry of Social Affairs,” said Mensos Saifullah Yusuf during a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday. The Minister stated that his side is open to inspections and plans to meet with the leadership of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to report on all stages of the procurement process that have been carried out. According to him, this step is part of an evaluation effort before entering the procurement process for goods and services in 2026. Furthermore, the Minister appreciated the attention from various parties and assured coordination with law enforcement authorities, including the police and KPK. He emphasised that openness to audits and examinations is part of the commitment to prevent potential deviations in the procurement of goods and services within the ministry. “So once again, we thank you and we will coordinate, of course, with the police and including the KPK,” said the Minister. His side plans to hold an audience with the KPK leadership to obtain input on the procurement of goods for the People’s School. “I am the one requesting the time because there is, so to speak, in my opinion, opinions that are worth listening to from the KPK,” he said. “So, the KPK’s opinions are very much heeded by us and we will follow them up to know better,” said the Minister. According to him, advice and suggestions from the KPK are needed to ensure a better procurement process. Regarding the ongoing process, the Minister assured that the procurement for the People’s School is running transparently and in accordance with legal regulations. The determination of goods prices is done through market surveys and prior consultations. Specifically for shoe procurement, he said, each student receives four pairs of shoes consisting of daily shoes, sports shoes, daily uniform shoes (PDH), and field uniform shoes (PDL).