JAKARTA - The President Director of the Education Fund Management Agency (LPDP) Sudarto reported that as many as 44 scholarship recipients (awardees) had been sanctioned for failing to fulfill the obligation of service in accordance with the provisions.
Of these, 8 people have been given the sanction of returning the scholarship funds received, while the other 36 are still in the process of being examined.
"We have conducted research on more than 600 awards from the number that has been determined, the sanctions include the return of 8 people, 36 more are in the process," said Sudarto at the APBN KiTa press conference, reported by ANTARA, Monday, February 23.
Sudarto explained that the data was obtained based on access to immigration crossing data from the Directorate General of Immigration, community reports, and social media searches for awardees.
He emphasized that not all automatic reports resulted in violations. Some scholarship recipients are still in the internship period or are building businesses abroad for two years, which is allowed according to the scholarship recipient guidelines.
There are also those who have completed their service or received official assignments from their institutions.
"Every case we will process objectively and proportionally. Of course we will continue to maintain this public trust is public funds that must be returned, must provide the greatest benefit to Indonesia," he said.
Regarding sanctions, Sudarto said that violators could be subject to the return of scholarship funds and interest, as well as blocking from participating in the LPDP program in the future.
The provision is already included in the agreement signed by the scholarship recipients.
Then, regarding one of the LPDP alumni with the initials DS who went viral on social media, Sudarto regretted it.
"Of course, this action does not reflect the values of integrity, ethics, and also nationality that have always been instilled by the LPDP to the LPDP business recipients," he said.
On the same occasion, Minister of Finance (Menkeu) Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa also revealed that the husband of the LPDP alumni with the initials DS, who has become the public spotlight, has expressed his willingness to return the scholarship funds he received, including the interest.
"The boss of the LPDP has spoken to the husband concerned. And he seems to have agreed to return the money used from the LPDP. So it includes the interest. LPDP money, if I put that money in the bank, yes, there is interest, it is with the fair treatment," he added.
Previously, DS was discussed on social media after uploading a video showing his son's British passport and including a note that some netizens considered degrading the Indonesian passport.
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