Social Minister relieves two officials in connection with procurement for People's School
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Social Minister Saifullah Yusuf has temporarily relieved two officials at the Ministry of Social Affairs to facilitate the evaluation and investigation process for the procurement of goods and services, particularly shoe supplies for People’s School students, which has been the subject of recent discussions.
“I am temporarily relieving them from their positions as follows. (First) the Head of the Goods and Services Procurement Services Section as the Commitment Making Officer in the General Secretariat Work Unit. Second, the Head of the Equipment and State Property Subsection,” the Social Minister said during a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Furthermore, Social Minister Saifullah emphasised that he has specifically tasked the Inspector General of the Ministry of Social Affairs to continue in-depth examination as well as to conduct evaluation and investigation.
He also requested the Secretary General of the Ministry of Social Affairs to rationalise the 2026 procurement budget, strengthen the procurement team’s capacity, and provide direct oversight.
Gus Ipul, as he is affectionately known, also stated that his side has consulted with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the Republic of Indonesia Attorney General’s Office, and the Indonesian National Police (Polri) so that the Ministry of Social Affairs can carry out goods and services procurement in an accountable, transparent manner, and acceptable as procurement free from corruption.
It was previously known that there was a viral issue on social media regarding alleged price markups for shoes given to People’s School students. In response to this, the Social Minister formed a special team to delve into goods and services procurement issues at the Ministry of Social Affairs following information that became controversial on social media.
Gus Ipul appointed Deputy Social Minister Agus Jabo Priyono and the Inspector General of the Ministry of Social Affairs to lead the special team.
The formation of this special team, he said, aims to provide the public with a more complete picture of the issues that have become controversial on social media.