The Government Ensures Social Assistance Reforms Are Based on the National Disaster Response Program (DTSEN) to Ensure Targeted Programs
By: Karina Wulan)*
The government has taken a strategic step by implementing the National Socioeconomic Single Data System (DTSEN) as the primary basis for distributing social assistance. Presidential Instruction Number 4 of 2025 marks the transition from the old Integrated Social Welfare Data System (DTKS) to DTSEN, with the primary goal of improving targeting accuracy and preventing misuse of social funds. This step is crucial amidst global economic challenges and inflationary pressures.
Helping vulnerable communities while maintaining the country’s economic stability are two crucial, synergistic objectives. According to Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf, social assistance programs such as the Family Hope Program (PKH) and other programs will continue to be distributed throughout 2025. President Prabowo has even stated that the social assistance budget will be increased if needed. This demonstrates the government’s commitment to distributing this social assistance.
Several advantages can be felt in the DTSEN-based social assistance policy, such as data accuracy so that the reduction in mistargeting can be reduced because with the integration of Integrated Social Welfare Data (DTKS), Socio-Economic Registration (Regsosek), and Targeting for the Acceleration of Extreme Poverty Eradication (P3KE) into DTSEN, beneficiary data is updated regularly and verified by various institutions including the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) and the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP).
The ground-checking process successfully detected inclusion and exclusion errors. Of the 20.3 million beneficiary households in the second quarter of 2025, 16.5 million were verified, and 14.3 million were indeed in deciles 1–4. This clearly supports the principle of ensuring that only those truly in need receive social assistance benefits.
Teguh Dartono, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) at the University of Indonesia, stated that social assistance is an absolute policy that must be provided by the state. He even urged the government to increase the budget allocation for social assistance, provided it is accompanied by a distribution strategy and a structural poverty alleviation plan.
The substantial reduction in ineligible recipients by approximately 1.8 million families reflects efficiency and fairness in the distribution of social assistance. Furthermore, a transparent mechanism and proper oversight facilitate the detection of fraud. This is due to cross-agency integration, which synchronizes data between the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos), Statistics Indonesia (BPS), the Population and Civil Registration Office (Dukcapil), and the Financial Services Authority (OJK), ensuring a more accurate database.
Distribution is also carried out directly with recipients, through bank transfers, post offices, or electronic cards for PKH and BPNT, eliminating intermediaries and increasing transparency. Furthermore, public complaints are easily accessible through the “Cek Bansos” application, hotlines, and regional posts. This provides an opportunity for the public to submit data corrections, and the involvement of independent parties such as NGOs, academics, and the media to monitor the implementation of social assistance to minimize misappropriation. Strict sanctions have also been prepared for parties who commit irregularities, including recipients who provide false data and officials who manipulate distribution.
This social assistance can also be a targeted economic stimulus because transportation and toll incentives increase community mobility, supporting local economic activity and the tourism sector, which increased by 23% in April 2025 compared to last year. On the other hand, social assistance directly maintains the purchasing power of poor families because the distribution of social assistance in the second quarter of 2025 was carried out simultaneously with an economic stimulus package worth around Rp24.44 trillion, including additional social assistance, transportation discounts, wage subsidies, and free rice assistance of 20 kg for two months for 18.3 million recipients of basic food cards. However, this can strengthen social protection for vulnerable groups, because the presence of social assistance is very significant in maintaining socio-economic stability, especially for underprivileged groups.
Furthermore, social assistance can promote long-term economic independence, as it extends beyond cash transfers. For example, through the Family Hope Program (PKH), recipients receive business training through the Indonesian Economic Heroes (Pena) program, a partnership between Bank Indonesia (BI) and the Ministry of Social Affairs. Many have subsequently emerged from their dependence on social assistance and begun independent businesses, demonstrating that social assistance goes beyond consumption and promotes real economic empowerment.
On the other hand, the government is resilient in facing efficiency challenges, amid widespread criticism of budget cuts in various sectors to finance social assistance. However, the efficiency approaches employed, such as reducing budgets for meetings, official travel, and luxury facilities for officials, demonstrate that budget stability is being used for real social benefits, not merely for lavish administrative expenses. This indicates that the priority of data-driven and efficiency-driven social policies is indeed directed at strengthening public protection.
National Economic Council (DEN) member Arief Anshory Yusuf stated that social assistance is not just a cost, but an investment for inclusive economic growth. He added that social assistance is an investment to achieve future growth, or even growth simultaneously. The government faces several challenges in implementing DTSEN-based social assistance. However, the government has responded with a multi-phase approach: updating the DTSEN every three months, opening a participatory mechanism in the “Cek Bansos” application; involving factual checks (ground-checking) through BPS, local governments, and the BPKP; and inviting public participation in direct reporting of data discrepancies. If all of this is implemented consistently, these challenges can be addressed systematically.
The 2025 social assistance policy, based on the National Disaster Management Agency (DTSEN), represents a significant milestone in social protection reform in Indonesia. With an accurate database, transparent distribution mechanisms, and strict oversight, the government addresses criticisms of the previous social assistance system, which was prone to mistargeting and irregularities.
This policy not only strengthens social solidarity but also serves as an instrument for national economic recovery through integrated stimulus. With economic empowerment programs like Pena, social assistance also paves the way for recipient families to become self-sufficient in the long term. Therefore, supporting the government’s current social assistance policy is a logical choice as part of a fairer, more efficient, and more sustainable social protection strategy in building a Golden Indonesia. With the synergy of valid data, transparency, and community participation, social assistance can form a strong foundation for shared prosperity.
)*The author is a public policy observer
