Jakarta — The government is increasingly committed to improving the accuracy of social assistance (bansos) distribution to ensure every rupiah reaches those in need. One strategic step currently being taken is the utilization of the National Socioeconomic Single Data (DTSEN), professionally managed by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).
Through regular updates, the DTSEN serves as a crucial foundation for building a fair, transparent, and fraud-free social assistance system. Recent data validation results indicate that 1.9 million families were removed from the beneficiary list because they no longer met the criteria.
“Eligibility is determined based on economic status, and this is adjusted according to the type of program, such as Direct Cash Assistance (BLT) or the Family Hope Program (PKH). Previously, data was collected by local figures, which could introduce social bias. Now, the census is conducted by the Statistics Indonesia (BPS) and updated every three months,” said Dedek Prayudi, spokesperson for the Presidential Communications Office.
Dedek said the old system was riddled with weaknesses. Inclusion and exclusion errors were two classic problems that hampered the effectiveness of social assistance: people who shouldn’t have received it actually did, while those who were truly poor were overlooked due to their lack of social access.
Not only highlighting data accuracy, Dedek also emphasized the urgency of efficiency in budget management.
“We’re talking big numbers. Social assistance and social security costs up to Rp114 trillion from the state budget. This is public money that must be ensured to have an impact and not be misused,” he said.
Roy Salam, a senior researcher at the Indonesia Budget Center, echoed this sentiment. He assessed that many social assistance distributions have missed their targets, resulting in a waste of over Rp10 trillion in public funds. He urged that the data update process be conducted openly, inclusively, and involve broad public participation.
In response, Dedek reiterated that efficiency is a key principle in President Prabowo Subianto’s administration. Since the beginning of his term, the President has established three major directions: efficient and corruption-free governance, governance that promotes public welfare, and governance that builds national independence.
“The President is serious about efficiency. Through Presidential Decree No. 1 of 2025, ceremonial expenses such as focus group discussions (FGDs), hotels, and events were cut. The government has managed to save up to IDR 300 trillion,” Dedek emphasized.
This step to clean up social assistance data is clear evidence of the government’s seriousness in improving social assistance governance. With DTSEN as the backbone of the system, the government hopes that social assistance can become a social protection instrument that is truly targeted, effective, and brings real change to society.*