Indonesia Accelerates Digital Social Assistance After Finding Over 40% Mis‑Targeted

An evaluation by the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs revealed that more than 40% of social assistance programs were delivered to the wrong recipients, with the Family Hope Program (PKH) and food aid missing the mark by 45%, education aid by 43.17%, LPG subsidies by 60.57%, and electricity subsidies by 58.6%.

In response, President Prabowo Subianto ordered a rapid rollout of the Perlinsos Digital system, a digital public infrastructure that links population data across ministries to verify eligibility in minutes instead of months. The new platform will also shift subsidies from in‑kind distribution to direct cash transfers, delivering an average of Rp5.4 million per person, and will use artificial‑intelligence tools to group, verify, and monitor beneficiaries.

Officials said the integrated system aims to improve accuracy, transparency, and speed, reducing reliance on outdated manual processes and ensuring that assistance reaches those who truly need it.