Komdigi and Internet Providers Collaborate to Strengthen Digital Oversight of Social Assistance Funds
Jakarta – The government continues to enhance its monitoring mechanisms for the distribution of social assistance (Bansos) to ensure accurate targeting and prevent misuse—particularly for illegal activities such as online gambling. The Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos), in collaboration with various stakeholders, is developing a tech-based and cross-sectoral ecosystem for supervising the use of Bansos funds.
Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf (Gus Ipul) stated that cooperation with Bank Indonesia (BI) is crucial so the government can identify irregular account balances among Bansos recipients and ensure that aid is distributed to those who are genuinely in need.
“We’re moving forward by partnering with BI to observe, explore, and analyze the accounts of Bansos recipients, and we will examine their balances,” said Gus Ipul.
Through this cooperation, Kemensos hopes to analyze the flow of Bansos funds and detect account balances that deviate from the norm. The goal is to prevent misuse of the funds for illegal purposes and ensure they are truly enjoyed by rightful beneficiary families.
Kemensos is also coordinating with the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) to tighten monitoring of Bansos distribution. This includes utilizing unified data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) to improve targeting accuracy.
Previously, PPATK revealed that more than 10 million Bansos recipient accounts had been inactive for over three years, with a total of Rp2.1 trillion in idle funds. This finding indicates that Bansos distribution has not been entirely on target and remains vulnerable to misuse.
The data came from banking account analysis conducted by PPATK. In addition to Bansos accounts, PPATK also recorded more than 140,000 dormant accounts that had been inactive for over a decade, containing around Rp428.6 billion, with no updated customer data.
“Inactive accounts pose a significant risk for money laundering and other criminal activities,” said M. Natsir Kongah, Coordinator of the Public Relations Subdivision at PPATK, in Jakarta.
Meanwhile, Head of the Sleman District Communications and Information Office (Diskominfo), Budi Santosa, stated that his agency would cooperate with internet service providers (ISPs) to track the use of social assistance funds. They will request periodic reports on internet usage and user behavior from the providers. Through this regular tracking and monitoring, Bansos funds are expected to be used appropriately.
“We need to know what the internet network is used for and who is using it. We’ve asked providers to block access when the network is used for online gambling,” Budi explained.
The collaboration between the government and relevant parties aims to reinforce data- and technology-based supervision. The objective is clear: to ensure every rupiah of Bansos funds is used responsibly and truly benefits eligible beneficiary families. The government continues to demonstrate strong commitment to maintaining the integrity of Bansos programs as a key tool in poverty alleviation in Indonesia.
