Indonesia pilots digital system to improve welfare aid targeting
While observing a trial in Sleman District, Yogyakarta, on Thursday, Komdigi Minister Meutya Hafid noted that President Prabowo Subianto directly ordered rolling out the digitalization program to ensure social assistance strictly benefits those in need and eligible.
“Digitalization signifies assessing the eligibility of aid beneficiaries by system; this process will no longer be dictated by figures like village heads, making it more accountable and transparent,” she remarked in Donoharjo Village.
She further said that digitalizing social protection is underpinned by two core principles: data accuracy and time and cost efficiency for both communities and the government.
The minister explained that integrating population data is expected to enable residents to register for welfare programs online, eliminating costs for physical documents and transportation.
Hafid noted that the Komdigi Ministry is responsible for developing the digital infrastructure that serves as a “toll road” for secure and uninterrupted data exchange.
“Our target is for the process to complete within minutes. Some residents said registration can be finished in just five minutes,” she said.
She went on to alert people to potential frauds claiming association with the initiative, emphasizing that the entire registration process is free of charge and accessible only through official sites bearing the “.go.id” domain.
“All feedback regarding the trial run in Sleman will be evaluated together with the Ministry of Social Affairs to perfect the system before nationwide implementation,” Hafid concluded.
Sleman District Head Harda Kiswaya welcomed the region’s selection as the pilot location, noting that 76,315 households had registered through the social protection portal as of the first week of August.
He added that the district administration had deployed nearly 3,000 personnel to collect data and assist residents with online registration.
“This technology integration initiative is expected to accelerate the reduction of Sleman’s poverty rate, which stood at 6.73 percent in 2025, down from 7.48 percent in the previous year,” Kiswaya said.
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Translator: Sutarmi, Tegar Nurfitra