Gus Ipul and NTB Governor Synchronise Social Data Updates and Sekolah Rakyat Programme
The Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf, commonly known as Gus Ipul, received an audience from Nusa Tenggara Barat Governor Lalu Muhamad Iqbal at Café Selalu Ada, the Office of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Jakarta, on Monday, 9 March 2026. The meeting discussed the updating of the National Single Socio-Economic Database (DTSEN) and the readiness for developing Sekolah Rakyat (People’s Schools) in Nusa Tenggara Barat Province.
Gus Ipul stated that the government continues to improve the quality of social data through various channels of public participation. According to him, social data is dynamic in nature and therefore updating must be conducted on an ongoing basis.
“Data improvements are carried out through various channels, such as SIKS-NG, the Check Bansos application, ground checks, the call centre 021-171, and the WhatsApp Lapor Bansos service 08877 171 171,” said Gus Ipul.
He explained that these various channels are provided so that communities can be directly involved in the data updating process. For communities unfamiliar with using applications, he said, telephone and WhatsApp services are available for submitting reports or correcting data.
According to Gus Ipul, this data updating is part of the implementation of Presidential Instruction Number 4 of 2025 concerning National Single Socio-Economic Data. Through this policy, the government seeks to ensure that social assistance reaches the correct targets.
The data collection instrument, he said, has been standardised by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) with dozens of welfare variables serving as the basis for measurement. The data is then validated and monitored regularly to increase its accuracy.
Gus Ipul acknowledged that the process of data refinement is still ongoing. Based on the initial mapping of DTSEN, there are still some residents in the lowest welfare groups who have not received health insurance premium assistance (PBI-JK). Conversely, there are also aid recipients from higher welfare groups.
“This is not anyone’s fault. Data is indeed dynamic and must be continuously improved. The principle is that state assistance must be given to those who need it most,” he said.
The meeting also discussed progress in reactivating health insurance premium assistance recipients (PBI-JK). From approximately 11 million participants who were previously deactivated, approximately 869 thousand participants have returned to active status through various schemes, including PBI-JK reactivation, transfer to local government financing, corporate financing, and independent participation.
NTB Governor Lalu Muhamad Iqbal welcomed the central government’s steps in strengthening digitalisation and integration of social data.
“Digitalisation is important so that data can be connected to various systems. Previously there was no integration, so each operated independently,” said Iqbal.
He stated that the NTB Provincial Government regularly conducts verification and validation of poverty data annually through field facilitators. The local government also seeks to unify data across institutions and organisations, including universities.
“We orchestrate so that all parties have one unified data set in the matching process,” he said.
In addition to data updating, the NTB Provincial Government is also strengthening extreme poverty alleviation programmes through family economic empowerment. Assistance is provided in the form of productive business capital, such as laying hen farms and household agriculture.
Iqbal stated that each village in NTB receives an allocation of approximately Rp500 million for extreme poverty alleviation interventions at village level. The local government also encourages involvement of the central government and the private sector through corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes.
“We also encourage interventions from the centre and CSR to assist families in the extreme poverty category,” he said.
At the meeting, both parties also discussed plans for developing permanent Sekolah Rakyat in NTB as part of efforts to expand access to education for poor and vulnerable families.
The audience was also attended by a number of officials from the Ministry of Social Affairs, including the Director-General of Social Empowerment and the Director of Social Empowerment for Disadvantaged Regions. Also present was a delegation from the NTB Provincial Government, including Baiq Nelly Yuniarti, Head of Bappeda, Akhsanul Khalik, Head of the Communications and Information Office, Lalu Achmad Sukarman, Head of the Liaison Agency, and Herry Agustiadi, Head of the P2M Division of Bappeda.