New Kemensos-DEN System Capable of Tracking Beneficiary Assets Instantly

A new digitalisation system for social assistance (bansos) developed by the Ministry of Social Affairs and the National Economic Council (DEN) is capable of instantly tracking asset ownership, wage status, and electricity consumption of prospective beneficiaries through cross-ministerial national database integration. DEN representative Rahmat Danu Andika explained during a working meeting with Commission VIII of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) in Jakarta on Wednesday that the system uses a data exchange platform approach, connecting various sectoral databases on a real-time, database-to-database basis. “Once an application is submitted, the system instantly queries various data sources, from vehicle ownership, employment status and wages, electricity consumption, to land asset ownership—all in real-time,” he said. Rahmat detailed that the entire cross-checking process runs automatically after the applicant passes the initial stage, namely identity verification at the Directorate General of Population and Civil Registration of the Ministry of Home Affairs and facial authentication using facial recognition technology. The multi-layered data integration, which also includes welfare decile data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), is ensured to directly produce a transparent eligibility decision, complete with indicators determining the factors for rejection or acceptance of social assistance. Meanwhile, Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf stressed that the sophistication of this instant data tracking is part of a comprehensive reform of social protection governance that is data-based, transparent, and accountable. This step is also considered aligned with the President’s directive to realise a single national data system as the basis for planning and budgeting. “Through this system, the result of every social assistance application can be immediately known, including the reasons for acceptance or rejection. This is important to avoid disputes in the field and increase public trust,” he said. He added that the system allows the outcome of each application to be known straight away, which is deemed crucial for preventing field-level disputes and boosting public confidence. Currently, the targeting accuracy innovation, overseen by the Government Digital Transformation Acceleration Committee (KPTDP), has entered an expansion trial phase targeting 42 districts/cities as a national priority agenda. As part of a demonstration, the system was tested directly with the involvement of Commission VIII member Atalia Praratya. In the simulation, Atalia registered for social assistance by accessing the perlinsos.kemensos.go.id site, using her Population Identification Number (NIK) and biometric verification via facial scanning, witnessed directly by the leadership and members of the council.