BPS Chief Explains Kulon Progo Pedicab Driver's Desil 9 Status: Now Desil 3

Head of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti has explained the uproar surrounding motorised pedicab driver Timbul (49), a resident of Lendah, Kulon Progo, who was recorded as being in the ninth decile. She said that after the data was updated, the pedicab driver is now classified in the third decile.

“It has been updated; he is now in decile 3,” said Amalia after conducting an economic census at the residence of MPR Speaker Ahmad Muzani in Widya Chandra, South Jakarta, on Friday (28/8/2026).

Amalia said that after the update, the pedicab driver’s economic data now matches the facts on the ground. She said the key to BPS data is updating.

“No, the data had not been updated because he had not yet entered his data into the updating channel. After it was updated, it is now accurate,” Amalia revealed.

“So the key is updating; it is the key to ensuring the data matches the latest facts,” she added.

Previously, one of the decile anomalies occurred with motorised pedicab driver Timbul (49), a resident of Lendah, Kulon Progo, who was shocked to be recorded as being in the ninth decile. Timbul, who wanted to apply for tuition relief for his child at Yogyakarta State University (UNY), was left confused.

As reported by detikJogja, Timbul discovered this when he visited the Lendah village office two weeks ago to obtain a certificate of indigence (SKTM) as a requirement for applying for relief and a scholarship. Timbul said his eldest child, Lucky, was accepted at UNY through the independent admission route.

He had to pay an entrance fee of Rp 15 million. He therefore intended to apply for relief or a scholarship through the Indonesia Smart Programme (PIP).

“I wanted to use PIP and apply for a scholarship, so I went to the village office to get an SKTM, but it turned out the village head checked and my decile was 9,” Timbul said when met at his residence on Monday (24/8).

Timbul was shocked because he was usually recorded in decile 1-2, but was now said to be in decile 9. He said he still received basic food assistance around the beginning of last year. “The last time I received PKH social assistance was about 4 or 6 months ago. It was in the form of basic foodstuffs, plus assistance for the poor and schoolchildren, around Rp 1.1 million,” Timbul said.