Social Minister Clarifies Rp700,000 People's School Shoes Differ from Those Given by Khofifah
Social Minister (Mensos) Saifullah Yusuf (Gus Ipul) has clarified reports regarding the procurement of shoes for People’s Schools costing Rp700,000. Gus Ipul stated that the shoes for People’s School students are different from those given by East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa, which later went viral.
For context, a photo of Gus Ipul with Khofifah distributing shoes to People’s School students became viral on social media. The image sparked widespread discussion due to the Rp700,000 procurement budget for shoes for People’s School pupils.
The procurement value was then compared to the brand and model of the shoes in the photo with Khofifah and Gus Ipul. The shoes in the photo were said to be sold for under Rp700,000.
Gus Ipul then provided clarification. He said the type of shoes to be purchased by the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) is different from those in the viral photo.
“They’re very different; they’re not the standard for People’s Schools. That was a special gift from the East Java Governor. So it was a special gift from the East Java Governor to People’s School students during our event in Malang, I think, or wherever it was. So that’s not what is meant by the shoes; those were given to People’s School students by the Governor, not a procurement by Kemensos,” said Gus Ipul at Kemensos in Jakarta on Tuesday (5/4/2026).
Gus Ipul stated that the shoes given by Khofifah were not budgeted by Kemensos. Gus Ipul also showed the budget allocation and model of the shoes in the Rp700,000 People’s School shoe procurement.
The shoes are intended to complement the Field Service Uniform (PDL). In the image shown by Gus Ipul, the shoes are black with a boot model. Their shape differs from the shoes given by Khofifah.
“So there’s no confusion, I’ll repeat this once again: I also saw on social media the photo of me giving shoes with Mrs Khofifah. Those shoes were given by Mrs Khofifah, not by the Ministry of Social Affairs,” he said.
Gus Ipul also explained the Rp700,000 price for the shoes. He cited the 2025 budget allocation for shoes, which was also Rp700,000, but the actual realisation was Rp640,000.
“So in 2025, there was procurement of several shoes for both students and teachers. Of course, the winner is usually cheaper than the allocated budget,” he said.
Gus Ipul stated that his side is open to suggestions and criticism. He said Kemensos will explain openly any matters questioned by the public.
“This might be part of efforts to monitor and ensure whether there are deviations in the People’s School procurement or not. So I and the Deputy Minister think positively about it,” he said.