Social Minister Asks KPK to Analyse People's School Shoes Procurement
Social Minister Saifullah Yusuf, or Gus Ipul, has provided information on the procurement mechanism for shoes for People’s School students to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). The KPK has been asked to analyse and evaluate the procurement of a pair of shoes priced at Rp700,000.
“We have consulted and provided information for analysis and evaluation by the KPK. The KPK will convey it at the appropriate time,” he said after meeting KPK officials at the KPK’s Red and White Building in Jakarta on Friday, 8 May 2026.
Gus Ipul provided information and consulted on various matters regarding the procurement of goods and services at the Ministry of Social Affairs to the KPK. The consultation focused particularly on the procurement of goods and services for People’s Schools.
The consultation was conducted because the Ministry of Social Affairs is preparing to plan the procurement of goods and services for 2026. “Therefore, the 2025 evaluation becomes very important,” said Gus Ipul.
This PBNU General Secretary has received public criticism regarding the procurement process of goods and services at the Ministry of Social Affairs. The criticism is accepted to improve the ministry’s performance going forward. “Especially since we have been tasked with implementing President Prabowo Subianto’s strategic programme,” he said.
He does not want the implementation of People’s Schools to be tainted by corrupt practices. Therefore, he consulted with the KPK.
To the KPK, Gus Ipul conveyed that the Ministry of Social Affairs’ position in the records of the Government Goods and Services Procurement Policy Agency (LKPP) is ranked 167 out of more than 600 agencies.
Gus Ipul also admitted that the human resources at the Ministry of Social Affairs are not yet sufficient to carry out the procurement of goods and services. Moreover, the ministry will receive a large budget in the future.
“Perhaps for last year and this year, we can still oversee this with high commitment. But because the budget increases every year and the increase could be even sharper, we have sought advice earlier,” said Gus Ipul.
Regarding this, Gus Ipul asked for advice from the KPK on plans to assign procurement agents in the procurement of goods and services. “This is done by other agencies through procurement agents permitted by law. This is just an idea from us to seek further advice from the KPK,” he said.
He admitted to receiving many notes and corrections from the KPK, including efforts to close all loopholes so that the procurement process of goods and services can be transparent. The results of the KPK’s evaluation will serve as a guideline to improve the ministry’s performance.
On the same occasion, KPK Deputy Chairman Ibnu Masuki Widodo hoped that the KPK would be open to overseeing the programme as a prevention effort. “Clearly, this programme and his visit are in the context of preventing corruption so that in the existing programmes, there are no deviations, irregularities, and so on,” said Ibnu.
Gus Ipul previously stated that the Rp27 billion shoe procurement was only for one type/model of shoe. Meanwhile, there are four types of shoes provided for People’s School students. However, he has not yet known in detail the total budget for the People’s School shoe procurement.
Gus Ipul also denied that a pair of shoes for People’s School students costs Rp170,000 as circulated on social media. Gus Ipul clarified that the photo of shoe distribution with East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa circulating on social media was not the shoe procurement carried out by the Ministry of Social Affairs.
The shoes distributed with Khofifah were a special donation provided by the East Java Governor for People’s School students in the East Java region. “I also know that it’s on social media, the photo of me giving shoes with Mrs Khofifah. Those are shoes given by Mrs Khofifah, not by the Ministry of Social Affairs. Very different (quality). Not the standard for People’s Schools,” he said when met at the Ministry of Social Affairs office in Central Jakarta on Tuesday, 5 May 2026.
He explained that the distribution was specifically carried out at one of the People’s Schools in the Malang area. “So that’s not the shoe in question. That’s not procurement from the Ministry of Social Affairs,” he stated.
However, Gus Ipul could not detail the exact price of the shoes distributed with the East Java Governor. He only emphasised that the ministry’s procured shoes cost Rp700,000 with the actual purchase realisation price ranging from Rp250,000 to Rp640,000.