Ministry of Social Affairs’ 2025 Budget Cut by Rp1.3 Trillion, Social Aid Remains Intact

The Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) will see a Rp1.3 trillion budget reduction in 2025, bringing its total budget—approved by Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI)—to Rp78.26 trillion, down from Rp79.58 trillion the previous year.

Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf, also known as Gus Ipul, assured that the budget cut aligns with Presidential Instruction (Inpres) No. 1 of 2025 while maintaining the social assistance (bansos) budget.

"Our primary focus is to ensure that the social assistance funds directly allocated to the people remain untouched. In fact, if feasible, the President has instructed that they should be increased," Gus Ipul stated in an official release on Friday (February 7, 2025).

Additionally, operational costs associated with bansos—such as distribution expenses, employee salaries, and field assistant honorariums—will remain unchanged. Gus Ipul emphasized that the efficiency measures would not impact performance targets or the ministry’s work ethic.

"We adhere to a clear principle: maintaining enthusiasm and ensuring that fixed costs remain intact. Efficiency efforts will not compromise our performance," he added.

The budget cut follows Presidential Instruction (Inpres) No. 1 of 2025 on Expenditure Efficiency in Implementing the 2025 State and Regional Budgets. Gus Ipul explained that the ministry would focus on reducing goods and capital expenditures, totaling Rp1.3 trillion.

Goods expenditures set for reduction include office supplies, operational costs, official travel, meetings, disaster relief mobilization (Tagana), and food distribution operations. Meanwhile, capital expenditures facing budget cuts include office renovations, facility maintenance, and procurement of equipment and machinery.

Meanwhile, Commission VIII of DPR RI has urged the Ministry of Social Affairs to update the National Socioeconomic Single Database (DTSEN) to ensure that social aid recipients meet the required criteria. The commission emphasized that corrections must be made if there are families who no longer qualify or if eligible beneficiaries have not yet been recorded properly.

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