Indonesia suspends social aid for 1.49 million families over gambling links

Indonesia's Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) has suspended social assistance distributions to 1,494,652 Beneficiary Families (KPM) following data from the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) indicating involvement in online gambling transactions.

Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf reported that of these flagged individuals, 794,475 are recipients of the Family Hope Program (PKH). The ministry is currently conducting verifications to confirm the status of these recipients before making final decisions regarding their assistance.

In South Sulawesi, local authorities noted that the highest concentration of flagged accounts is in Makassar, attributed to higher technology access in urban areas. Officials emphasized the complexity of the issue, noting that many cases involve unauthorized account usage. For instance, some beneficiaries have lost access because relatives or even assistance facilitators used their accounts for gambling without their knowledge. The South Sulawesi Social Service is implementing a selective policy to allow legitimate beneficiaries to restore their status if their accounts were misused by others.