Buleleng Implements 2026 Social Assistance Digitalisation, Residents Can No Longer Claim They Are Poor

The Buleleng Regency Government is starting to implement the digitalisation of social assistance in 2026. Through a cross-agency, NIK-based system, residents cannot claim to be poor if they are recorded as owning assets or having certain economic access.

Head of the Buleleng Department of Social Affairs, Empowerment of Women, and Child Protection, I Putu Kariaman Putra, said the programme is a piloting project from the central government that is currently being prepared administratively and technically.

‘For the 2026 social assistance digitalisation, we have been asked to help Mr Assistant I because this is a piloting programme from the centre. All regencies in Bali have attended the preparation meeting,’ Kariaman said, Thursday (5/3/2026).

According to him, the Regency Government has formed an implementing team through a Regent’s decree. The team is tasked with integration, verification, and updating recipient data, as well as monitoring and evaluating digital-based disbursement.

Kariaman emphasised that the system is connected to various agencies, from Dukcapil, banking, BPN to PLN. When residents’ data are entered via the application, the system immediately shows the eligibility level.

‘If electricity usage is above 900 VA, if they have assets, have a business, have permanent employment, or have ever accessed credit, it will be read. So you can no longer say you are poor if the data show otherwise,’ he asserted.

Conversely, residents who do not own assets, do not have access to credit, and meet poverty indicators will be detected as eligible to receive social assistance.

‘Within about one minute after input, the result appears, whether eligible or not, with the reasons,’ he explained.

In Buleleng there are 267,154 households (KK). To speed up data collection, the Social Department is preparing 2,750 agents with a scheme of one agent handling about 100 households.

These agents come from PKH companions, Dinsos human resources, desa dasa wisma, and possibly PPPK if needed. Before going to the field, they will receive socialisation and technical guidance.

‘If residents already have a phone, the app can be installed and input manually. The system is NIK-based and integrated with the Digital Population Identity (IKD),’ he said.

Although data-based, the regency government will still provide a grievance period. This is to anticipate the possibility that a resident’s identity is borrowed by others without the person’s knowledge.

‘For example, the ID card being borrowed for business or credit, that could have an impact. So we are providing a grievance period for follow-up,’ Kariaman said.

He added that the criteria for recipients remains based on the National Socio-Economic Integrated Data (DTSEN) from BPS which contains 36 indicators for individuals and households.

‘With this system, transparency is better assured. There will be no data manipulation. Everything is data-based and integrated,’ he concluded.

Previously, the Buleleng Regency Government accelerated the digitalisation of social assistance (bansos). About 2,600 agents are prepared to assist residents in registering via the Social Protection (Perlinsos) app.

This step follows the updating of the National Socio-Economic Integrated Data (DTSEN), which has become the new reference replacing the DTKS. Bali, including Buleleng, was chosen by the central government as a pilot area for the digitalisation of social assistance.

(nor/nor)