During a cabinet briefing in July, President Prabowo Subianto emphasised that government digitalisation is a necessity. He underscored the importance of ensuring people do not have to repeatedly submit the same data or incur costs merely to prove their economic condition in accessing social assistance.
The president's commitment led to the establishment of the Committee for Accelerating Government Digital Transformation through Presidential Regulation No. 83 of 2025. The body is designed to eliminate bureaucratic obstacles, encourage coordination between agencies, and accelerate the government's digital transformation agenda.
Data from the Central Statistics Agency in 2023 showed that of households eligible to receive the Family Hope Programme, only one in four households actually received it. This targeting error phenomenon was caused by weak data accuracy and the system's inability to respond to changes in residents' living conditions in the field.
The Digital Social Protection programme allows residents to register and update their data independently or with the assistance of field agents without having to go through layered proposal mechanisms from local government. The verification process works both ways: the government can access cross-sector data from eight ministries to ensure accurate targeting, while applicants can submit objections in real-time.
The government is now expanding the trial from Banyuwangi to 43 districts and cities. Currently around one million families have registered out of a target of 12.5 million families. The programme expansion faces challenges including disparities in internet quality, availability of field facilitators, commitment from local governments, and the public's digital literacy.
