Jakarta – The Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) will prioritize the distribution of social assistance (bansos) to households in the lowest four deciles of the country’s socioeconomic scale (DTSEN) in anticipation of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr 2026, Minister Saifullah Yusuf, commonly known as Gus Ipul, announced Tuesday.
The aid package, totaling Rp 17.5 trillion (approximately $1.1 billion USD), is intended to bolster the purchasing power of vulnerable populations during the upcoming religious holidays, according to a press conference held at Gambir Station. “Following a meeting with the Coordinating Minister, our focus will be on assistance for deciles 1 and 2. If budget allocations permit, we will extend this to deciles 3 and 4,” Gus Ipul stated.
The assistance will be delivered through two primary channels: regular social assistance programs, including the Family Hope Program (PKH) and Non-Cash Food Assistance (BPNT), and adaptive social assistance, encompassing disaster relief and the Social Rehabilitation Assistance (ATENSI) program. The Rp 17.5 trillion allocation will benefit an estimated 18 million recipient families (KPM), officials said.
Beyond direct financial aid, the adaptive social assistance component will address disaster-related needs, including home repairs, empowerment initiatives, and livelihood support. ATENSI will provide assistance to families requiring social attention, according to the Ministry.
Gus Ipul emphasized that the distribution of aid will be based on data from the National Socioeconomic Survey (Data Tunggal Sosial Ekonomi Nasional), compiled by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) and updated by Kemensos. He underscored the importance of data accuracy and announced the Ministry is actively seeking to improve its data collection processes through multiple channels, including local administrative levels (RT/RW), the Cek Bansos application, and a 24/7 command center accessible by phone at 021-171. A WhatsApp hotline is also under development.
The announcement was made during a broader press conference outlining the government’s economic stimulus package for the first quarter of 2026, which also includes transportation discounts and support for remote work arrangements. Attendees included Cabinet Secretary Letkol Teddy Indra Wijaya, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartanto, Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, Minister of Manpower Yassierli, Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi, and Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Rini Widyantini.
As of Tuesday, the government has disbursed over Rp 17 trillion in social assistance, with the remaining funds scheduled for distribution in April, May, and June, Gus Ipul confirmed.
