JAKARTA - The government continues to accelerate digital transformation in the distribution of social assistance (bansos) through the Digital Social Protection Portal (Perlinsos).
In addition to reducing the time and cost of services for the public, the digitization of the social protection system is also projected to be able to increase the efficiency of state budgets by up to Rp. 260 trillion in the long term.
Chairman of the National Economic Council (DEN) and Chairman of the Government Digital Transformation Acceleration Committee (KPTDP) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, said in the long term, the increase in the accuracy of social assistance targets is expected to open the potential for budget efficiency of IDR 170 trillion to IDR 260 trillion, or equivalent to 10 billion US dollars to 15 billion US dollars.
"This figure is a strategic estimate, not a savings that has been realized, and still depends on the quality of data and the success of expansion. Any change in data must have a clear audit trail," he explained.
The social protection digitization program is the result of collaboration between various ministries and agencies under the coordination of the KPTDP.
The government targets that the Perlinsos Portal can be expanded nationwide starting October 2026 as part of the transformation of social protection services that are faster, more targeted, and transparent.
This development was discussed in the Coordination Meeting of the Government Digital Transformation Acceleration Committee chaired by the Chairman of the KPTDP and Chairman of DEN Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, on Wednesday, June 17.
On this occasion, the KPTDP also monitored the implementation of the limited trial that is currently taking place in Surabaya and Bali.
Luhut said the success of the Perlinsos Digital trial in Banyuwangi was the basis for expanding the implementation of the program to 42 regencies/cities in 25 provinces.
Through the new system, the social assistance registration process, which previously could take up to 200 days, can now be completed in just a few minutes, and people can simply use the National Identification Number (NIK) and biometric verification in the form of facial recognition to access the service.
In addition to speeding up the administrative process, digitization also reduces the costs that must be incurred by the public, namely if previously the cost of handling could reach around Rp. 150,000, now the registration process almost does not require any costs.
According to Luhut, the utilization of digital technology developed by domestic talents has proven its ability to answer various problems that have been a challenge in distributing social assistance.
"With increasingly accurate and integrated data, the President can make more accurate decisions to ensure that state assistance is actually received by the people in need," he said.
Until now, almost 370,000 people have used the Perlinsos Digital service, both to register social assistance and to submit objections regarding beneficiary data.
The Perlinsos portal is designed as an integrated platform that connects data from eight ministries and agencies through the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) approach, which is the first time it has been implemented in a social protection system in Indonesia.
People who already have a Digital Population Identity (IKD) can access the service independently.
Meanwhile, residents who do not have IKD can get assistance from accompanying agents that have been prepared by the government.
This system is supported by three main foundations, namely digital identity and biometric verification to ensure the validity of applicant data, inter-agency data integration through the Government Service Linkage System which links population data, DTSEN, employment, electricity, and assets, and a digital payment system that allows the distribution of assistance to take place faster and more transparent.
To ensure that services can reach all levels of society, the Ministry of Social Affairs together with related ministries and agencies has prepared around 60,000 companion agents who are tasked with helping the registration process as well as overcoming the digital literacy gap.
In the next phase, the trial will be expanded to 42 regencies/cities in 25 provinces to test the readiness of governance, infrastructure, and regulations before being applied more broadly.
Since June 4, 2026, limited implementation has taken place in Surabaya and all areas of Bali which include nine sub-districts as well as 14 villages and villages.
As of June 16, 2026, more than 6,100 families have registered through the portal with the support of more than 700 accompanying agents from ASN elements, PKH companions, TKSK, community leaders, PKK, and Dasawisma.
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