Social Affairs Minister Requests Rp22.4 Trillion Budget Increase for 2027

Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf has proposed that his ministry’s budget for 2027 be increased by Rp22.49 trillion. The proposed budget increase was conveyed during a meeting with House of Representatives Commission VIII on Wednesday, 10 June 2026. The indicative budget ceiling for the Ministry of Social Affairs for the coming year is Rp84.71 trillion. Therefore, the total budget required by the Ministry of Social Affairs for 2027 is Rp107.2 trillion. “We ask for the support of House Commission VIII to fight for this budget increase so that our priority programmes can run optimally,” he said during the meeting on Wednesday, 10 June 2026. Gus Ipul, as he is known, explained that over the last three years the ministry’s budget has been declining. He detailed that in 2025, the ministry’s budget was still Rp112.80 trillion. The total budget received by the Ministry of Social Affairs a year later then dropped significantly to Rp84.13 trillion. This is similar to the indicative ceiling for 2027 set by the state treasurer for the Ministry of Social Affairs at Rp84.71 trillion. Saifullah complained about the downward trend in his ministry’s budget, particularly in the last two years. Yet, according to him, the mandate carried out by his ministry has actually increased from previous years. “The existence of people’s schools, the digitisation of social assistance, and the affirmative business card are operating with a budget that is 25 percent lower than in 2025,” said Saifullah. Saifullah said that budget constraints for programme implementation and operational affairs for next year could potentially hinder the ministry’s performance. According to him, a number of programme sectors could be disrupted. The operational budget for offices next year, he said, will drop significantly. He then explained that management support will become limited or only sufficient for salaries and basic operations. “There is no operational budget for social assistance at all. The budget for people’s schools is also still lacking. Social empowerment is also not yet optimal,” he stated. The budget constraints for next year’s work, Saifullah continued, could potentially impact a reduction in the budget for social protection and security. This includes the implementation of social rehabilitation programmes which lack budget, and supervisory work is also affected. “It also impacts the absence of training programmes,” he said.