Government Expands Social Assistance Digitalisation to Boost Public Productivity
The government is expanding the digitalisation of social assistance (bansos) not only to enlarge the scope of services but also to build an ecosystem that encourages economic self-reliance among the public through the utilisation of artificial intelligence.
The Pro Kesejahteraan Rakyat (Pro-Kesra) programme forms part of the national poverty reduction strategy. This programme goes beyond merely distributing social assistance; it also urges the public to become more productive and economically independent through various empowerment initiatives.
The Chairman of the Government Digital Transformation Acceleration Committee, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, explained that the expansion of digitalisation functions will drive changes in governance while enhancing budget efficiency.
“Digital transformation through the adoption of public digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence serves as a catalyst for national priority programmes to realise better governance,” he stated in a press release received by Kompas.com on Tuesday (12/5/2026).
The statement was delivered by Luhut during a Ministerial Level Meeting on the Expansion of Social Assistance Digitalisation Coverage and Empowerment at the Ministry of National Development Planning (PPN)/National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) in Jakarta on Monday (11/5/2026).
According to him, this self-reliance is supported through integrated, precise, and sustainable public services.
Rini explained that government services must be oriented towards the needs and characteristics of the public while supporting sustainable citizen empowerment. One strategic step taken is the updating and verification of cross-sectoral data in real time.
“In this way, access to services becomes simpler, easier to understand, and inclusive for all,” said Rini.
She added that integrated verification and authentication are also being implemented to accelerate public service processes.
“The implementation of the programme will be expanded gradually towards a national scale with significant impact,” Rini emphasised.
In addition, the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (PANRB), together with the Ministry of PPN/Bappenas, is facilitating the alignment of services and standards across ministries/institutions that manage the Kesejahteraan Card and Usaha Card programmes.
Meanwhile, the Minister of PPN/Head of Bappenas, Rachmat Pambudy, stated that Pro-Kesra supports the self-reliance of poor and vulnerable communities through economic empowerment.
On a macro level, the programme aims to accelerate poverty graduation through increased business and employment opportunities.
In terms of strengthening work capacity, the public receives training, mentorship, job placement access, and internship opportunities.
The programme’s follow-up is carried out through the Social Welfare Information System (SIKS) and the UMKM Service Application System (Sapa UMKM). The targets of this programme include poor communities and vulnerable groups, such as women, the elderly, disaster victims, and people with disabilities.