Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf announced that the government would use proceeds from a Rolls-Royce car auction to renovate homes for underprivileged residents in Makassar and support economic empowerment programs in the surrounding area.
"Most of the money from the auction would be aimed at renovating 20 underprivileged homes in Makassar, with the amount of assistance of Rp80 million (US$4,710) for each house. The rest will be used to empower the surrounding community," he stated on Tuesday.
Yusuf affirmed that the assistance would be prioritized for the family of Naila, one of the prospective students at Sekolah Rakyat Makassar, and their neighbors.
The minister explained that the assistance will be distributed through the Integrated Welfare Home (RST) scheme, which also provides support for social entrepreneurship.
"We hope this assistance will help the community become independent," he remarked.
The Makassar City Government is expected to prepare land for housing construction, while the Ministry of Social Affairs will carry out the construction process using the auction funds.
This program will also involve the Ministry of Housing and Settlement Areas and partners from the private sector.
The Rolls-Royce car that was earlier auctioned was a prize from Batik Air in 2016, which had never been claimed by the winner.
Related news: Ministry allots Rp52.5 billion to renovate houses in North Kalimantan
According to the regulation, the vehicle was then handed over to the Ministry of Social Affairs and auctioned through the Ministry of Finance.
The auction was held thrice. After two failed attempts with no bidders, the third auction on June 3-12, 2025, finally attracted a successful bid.
The luxury vehicle was sold to a resident of Sidoarjo, East Java, for Rp2,539,957,000 (US$147 thousand) after being initially offered at Rp1,739,957,000 (US$100 thousand).
"The auction winner is Mr. Khoirul Umam Musoffah. He paid off the payment on June 18, 2025, and today, we are handing over the vehicle directly," Yusuf stated.
The ministry still holds several other vehicles and assets, including electric cars and gold bars, which are also planned for auction.
"We will announce the next auction soon, and the proceeds will be reported to the president, to be used to help those in need," Yusuf added.
Related news: House renovation completed before 2021 WSBK in Mandalika: ministry
Translator: M. Riezko Bima, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
