Bali to be the Next Location for Digital Social Assistance Pilot Programme After Banyuwangi

A pilot programme for digital-based social assistance (bansos) using Digital Public Infrastructure will be conducted in eight regencies and one city in Bali. Nationally, this is the second trial after Banyuwangi, East Java.

The Head of the Government’s Digital Transformation Acceleration Committee, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, confirmed that the plan will be implemented soon. Luhut chaired a coordination meeting, which was held behind closed doors at the Kerta Sabha Building, Jalan Surapati 1, Denpasar City, on Thursday (26/2/2026).

The meeting, attended by the Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, and the regents/mayors of Bali, was held to prepare for and discuss the technical aspects of the digital social assistance pilot programme.

“Bali, one province out of many. But we chose Bali, which includes eight regencies and one city,” said Luhut while giving a statement after the meeting.

Luhut said that there are currently 27,000 digital applications within the government. From local governments to agencies and ministries. Previously, these applications operated independently. Now, the government is combining these thousands of applications into a single integrated system based on artificial intelligence (AI), making it more effective.

“From Banyuwangi, it will be a model, and I think it will make Indonesia more transparent and efficient,” said Luhut, accompanied by Koster.

Luhut targets the digital transformation to be launched in October 2026. “Banyuwangi has completed its objection period, which will be finished next week. So, we will run it in parallel now in Bali,” he added.

Previously, in April 2026, a digitalisation trial is planned in 200 regencies/cities. “We hope that 200 million Indonesian people will have this digital application,” said the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment during the era of President Joko Widodo.