Gus Ipul Emphasises that PKH Aid Recipients Are Not Determined by Regional Heads

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf, or Gus Ipul, stated that there is still a misconception that PKH companions or regional heads determine the recipients of social assistance. Gus Ipul explained that the determination of deciles in the National Social and Economic Single Data (DTSEN) as the basis for distributing social assistance is not the authority of PKH or regional heads. “There is a misunderstanding that it might be determined by the regent or mayor. No, it is determined by BPS,” Gus Ipul emphasised while attending the Ministry of Social Affairs’ Silaturahmi with the Provincial and Regency/City Governments across South Sulawesi along with Social Pillars at the Pola Room of the South Sulawesi Governor’s Office, quoted from a press release, Saturday (18/4/2026). Decile 1 covers 10 per cent of the population with the lowest socio-economic conditions, while decile 10 represents the 10 per cent most affluent group. Therefore, the process of determining social assistance recipients is carried out by BPS in accordance with Presidential Instruction No. 4 of 2025. “What I need to emphasise now here is that PKH companions and all of us cannot determine the DTSEN deciles. Our task is only to send accurate field data. The one who determines is BPS,” said Gus Ipul. Changes in residence, economic conditions, and even deceased recipients must be updated immediately to avoid mis-targeting in aid distribution. “So our data changes every day. If we are late in reporting a deceased person, it means we are assisting someone who has already passed away,” he said. The Ministry of Social Affairs opens opportunities for PKH to propose, object, and update Beneficiary Family (KPM) data based on factual conditions in the field (groundcheck). “We give PKH companions the chance to propose, object, and provide their data so that it can later be corrected and improved by BPS. So it is still BPS that makes the improvements; your task is only to assist in the updates,” Gus Ipul emphasised. “Insya Allah, if we all carry out the data updates together, our data will become more accurate, and the social assistance will be on target, with social subsidies reaching the right recipients,” he concluded.