Nadiem And DPR: It Is Clear, There Is No Conflict Of Interest In Paying Tuition Fees Using GoPay

Minister of Education and Culture, Nadiem Makarim. (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of Education and Culture (Mendikbud) Nadiem Makarim, spoke up regarding the GoPay payment system which has begun to penetrate into the realm of Education Development Contribution (SPP) payments at schools. This feature is called GoBills.

Nadiem emphasized that there is no conflict of interest between himself as the Minister of Education and Culture and himself as the founder of Gojek, the start-up company that houses GoPay.

Initially, Nadiem explained, the school tuition payment system through the GoPay feature had indeed been planned for years. This feature is an anticipation of digital wallet competition in Indonesia.

"It has nothing to do with the policies of the Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemendikbud). That is what happens in the fierce market competition, among digital wallets, where everyone can accept anything, whether it's GoPay, whether it's OVO, want it LinkAja, want DANA, "he said, in a working meeting with Commission X, DPR Building, Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Thursday, February 20.

This digital wallet competition, said Nadiem, is a form of the phenomenon of digitizing the financial system in Indonesia. Nadiem emphasized that the payment of school tuition fees with GoPay has nothing to do with him.

"The Ministry of Education and Culture will never, I repeat again, never will the Ministry of Education and Culture, especially the ministers themselves, do anything that violates the conflict of interest, which creates a conflict of interest, namely a conflict of interest and I must emphasize this," he said.

"Everything related to the company before me. Where I have relinquished all authority for all positions and please ask the company directly," he continued.

Payment Methods for School Policy Tuition Fees

Nadiem emphasized that paying tuition fees using GoPay is not the Ministry of Education and Culture's policy. According to him, this is the policy of each school. The Ministry of Education and Culture also does not regulate at all the payment methods for school tuition fees.

"Schools are free to choose what bank they want, what digital wallet they want," he said.

At the meeting, Nadiem also brushed aside the issue of conflict of interest several times between himself as the Minister of Education and Culture and himself as the founder of Gojek regarding tuition payments using GoPay.

"Imagine if for example the members in Commission X use GoFood that means there is a conflict of interest with me?" He said laughing.

Minister of Education and Culture, Nadiem Makarim attended the working meeting with Commission X DPR. (Mery Handayani / VOI)

Nadiem explained that GoPay as a digital wallet feature in Indonesia has become commonplace for many people to use.

"I'm sorry if I am a little annoyed with comments like this. But yes, no, what is this called democracy and in democracy we must always be accountable for any criticism in society and that's why I answered today yes," he said.

The DPR Does Not Have a Problem

Deputy Chairperson of Commission X Dede Macan Efendi said, not only tuition fees, telecom payments, electricity or whatever, currently it has entered the era of digitalization of e-money and that is part of the process. If any school uses digital wallets as a payment method, it is the school's right.

However, said Dede, Kemendikbud should not encourage or suggest any payment methods. This is because Indonesia applies the principle of justice.

"I have checked with the Ministry of Education and Culture that there are directions, recommendations, requests, nothing. Okay. That means clear. The Minister, if I'm not mistaken, today issued a statement regarding this, saying he did not direct anything. Our concern is that there are directions that are not. I can, "said Dede.

Commission X, said Dede, considers this not a policy, because by nature anyone can use whatever digital wallet is. According to Dede, his party will question deeply if this is an official policy from the Ministry of Education and Culture.

"My question is, is there a statement from the ministry that you have to use a, b, or c or not? There isn't, right. We can't prohibit it too, because it is done by schools not by the ministry. For example, schools that use OVO, DANA use it. and others. Quite a lot, especially the private sector who use it, "he said.