Indonesia โฃLaunches Digital social Aid โProgram with Poverty Reduction Goals
Indonesia โฃis rolling out a digitizedโฃ social assistanceโ (bansos) program, beginning in Banyuwangi,โค East Java inโ September 2025, with plans for nationwide expansion. The initiative,โ spearheaded byโ theโข Commitee for Acceleration of Digital Change, aims toโค improve the accuracy, transparency, and accountability of aid disbursement.
Individuals can register โคfor the program, known as perlinsos, thru Identity Card Digitalization (IKD) authentication via a digital portal. For those without mobile phones,biometric or facial recognition will beโค available through field officers. according to Tubagus Nugraha, Executive Director for Policy Synchronization of DEN‘s Priorityโ Economic Programs, applications โwill be automatically processed using integrated data from multiple sources, including Payment ID, through theโข Government Service Connection System (SPLP).
DEN expert Rahmat Danu Andika emphasized that the biometric authentication option ensures accessibility for all potential โฃbeneficiaries, even those without smartphones. The goal is to facilitate safe andโ integrated access to government digital โservices,as stated by Nugraha.
Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan,Chair of DEN,previously โprojected that the digitalization of social aid could lift 34 million indonesians out of poverty during President Prabowo Subianto’s administration. This projection is based on the expectation of a importantโฃ reduction in the poverty rate if the program is successful.
Though, current data from the Centralโข Statistics Agency (BPS) indicates a different baseline. As ofโ March 2025, BPS reported 23.85 million โขpeople living in poverty in Indonesia – a figure lower than DEN’s projected reduction.
The digital system will verify data across various institutions, including BPJS Health, BPJS Employment,โ BI-Himbara, ATR/BPN, and Samsat, to minimize inclusion and exclusion errors. Beneficiaries will also be able to independentlyโ verify their โdigitalโ identities through the application.
This digitalization of bansos is one of three key agendas for โthe committee, alongside the digitalization of buisness permits and improvementsโฃ to Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) integration.
This article incorporates reporting from Antara news agency.