Minister Rini: Digital Transformation Must Solve Citizens' Problems, Not Just Launch Apps

The digitalisation of social protection (Perlinsos) is being accelerated to make access to government assistance faster and easier for the public. The government considers that the success of digital transformation is not measured by the number of applications created, but by the ability of technology to solve citizens’ problems and bring services closer.

“Embracing one main spirit — ‘Data Matched. Citizens’ Rights Ensured’ — we are here to ensure that the acceleration of digital social protection is not merely a technocratic idea, but a real movement that is easy, inclusive, and well-targeted for all Indonesian people,” said Minister for Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (PANRB) Rini Widyantini in her statement on Wednesday (12/8/2026).

Rini said the digital transformation is in line with President Prabowo Subianto’s directive emphasising the importance of reducing the use of disconnected government applications. The government is also encouraged to deliver services to the public through technology.

According to Rini, the benchmark of success is not how many applications have been launched, but how many citizens’ difficulties can be resolved. Technology should not move complexity from the counter to the screen. Technology should instead cut stages, connect data, and bring services closer to the public.

For this reason, the government is building a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), a shared digital foundation that is secure, standardised, and usable across services. Digital identity is used to verify citizens’ identities, while data exchange allows the public to avoid repeatedly submitting the same information.

A digital payment system is also part of the foundation so that assistance can be received quickly, securely, and with proper records. The foundation is not intended for a single application or ministry, but can be shared for various service needs.

Social protection is one of the key applications, because this is where the quality of government integration is directly tested by people’s lives.

On the occasion, Rini assessed that Sumedang Regency has shown progress in implementing Perlinsos data collection. A total of 111,077 households have been registered in the Perlinsos Portal, reaching 24.23% of the total 458,418 households.

This demonstrates leadership presence, growing collaboration from sub-district to village level, and sustained momentum.

As many as 91.91% of the public registered in the Perlinsos Portal completed registration through agent assistance. Of the 3,847 agents deployed in Sumedang, 59.24% have been actively assisting the public door-to-door.

The agents not only help with the registration process, but also explain procedures in language that is easy for the public to understand. They also accompany residents from the initial stage until the process is complete and provide understanding about data security and the data collection process.

“Hopefully the steps we begin and strengthen from Sumedang today will become an example that digital government is not merely about making the state look more modern, but about making the state more present and people’s lives easier,” said Rini.

Meanwhile, Sumedang Regent Dony Ahmad Munir expressed appreciation to the PANRB Minister for reviewing Perlinsos data collection in his region. The Sumedang Regency Government expressed support for the Perlinsos programme, which is considered to have an impact on beneficiary communities.

“Through the Perlinsos programme data collection, we can ensure targeting accuracy and, of course, budget efficiency, which will ultimately have an impact on development in our country,” said Dony.