East Java Governor Khofifah Backs Expansion of Social Assistance Digitalisation to Eight Regions
Surabaya (ANTARA) - The Governor of East Java, Khofifah Indar Parawansa, supports the expansion of social assistance (bansos) digitalisation across eight regions as an effort to broaden digital-based service transformation and increase the accuracy and efficiency of sustainable aid distribution in the province.
Speaking at the Coordination Meeting for Monitoring the Expansion of Social Assistance Digitalisation Piloting across 43 regencies/cities at the Ministry of Home Affairs in Jakarta on Tuesday, Khofifah stated that four regions in East Java have already been designated as pilot areas for social assistance digitalisation: Surabaya City, Mojokerto City, Malang City, and Banyuwangi Regency.
According to her, the success of the implementation in these four areas serves as vital capital to expand the programme to other regions in East Java that possess adequate digital infrastructure and government ecosystems.
“If we can become part of this social assistance digitalisation process, we are ready to encourage and expand it. In East Java, we have 3eb 38 cities/regencies. So, if there were previously four, we would welcome an additional four to make eight. God willing, we are ready to work hard to realise this programme here,” she said.
Khofifah assessed that the expansion of social assistance digitalisation must be accompanied by strengthening the quality of beneficiary data to minimise inclusion errors (incorrect recipients) as well as exclusion errors (eligible citizens who are not yet recorded).
The East Java Provincial Government, she continued, is prepared to strengthen data updates to ensure the social assistance recipient database becomes increasingly accurate and targeted.
Khofifah shared several field experiences regarding support for social pillars in regions affected by budget efficiency policies, as well as the mechanisms for opening bank accounts for social assistance recipients.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Home Affairs, Tito Karnavian, stated that the digitalisation of social assistance is part of the acceleration of government digital transformation, or Government Technology (GovTech), to provide more effective, transparent, and integrated public services.
“This time, we plan to expand to 43 regencies/cities. For East Java, I believe the important point is to add more pilot areas for social assistance digitalisation. This is also being coordinated with Mr Luhut (Chairman of the National Economic Council); as Minister of Home Affairs, I support him in coordinating local government officials and all relevant institutional leaders to support the acceleration steps led by him,” he said.
The Chairman of the National Economic Council, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, stated that programme evaluations will be conducted until the end of July 2026 in preparation for a national launch by President Prabowo Subianto this coming October.
According to Luhut, the digitalisation of social assistance, integrated with Artificial Intelligence (AI), has the potential to increase the efficiency of government governance.
“If this succeeds, we have reported to the President that we could save more than Rp1,500 trillion. Our current tax ratio of around 9 per cent could gradually rise to 11, 12, or even 13 per cent, similar to other ASEAN nations. Therefore, we must be united, implementing this programme in a gradual, tiered, and sustainable manner so that it can be truly realised effectively,” he said.