Indonesia suspends social assistance for millions linked to online gambling

The Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs has suspended social assistance for over 1.4 million Beneficiary Families (KPM) due to indications of involvement in online gambling. This includes 794,475 recipients of the Program Keluarga Harapan (PKH).

In Tangerang Regency, 259 KPM recipients of the PKH and Non-Cash Food Assistance (BPNT) programs have had their disbursements suspended. Investigations by the Ministry and the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) suggest that in many cases, the gambling activity was carried out by a family member of the recipient, though officials noted the possibility of identity theft via NIK misuse. Of the suspended recipients in Tangerang, 195 have already applied for clarification to reactivate their benefits.

Members of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) have expressed support for these measures to create a deterrent effect, emphasizing that social assistance is a state mandate intended for basic needs like health, education, and nutrition. However, lawmakers have urged the government to conduct careful verification to ensure that truly needy families are not wrongly identified due to data errors.