President Prabowo Urges Well-Targeted and Sustainable Social Assistance

Photo Caption: Minister of Social Affairs Syaifullah Yusuf delivers a press conference at Merdeka Palace on Friday (19/09).

President Prabowo Subianto on Monday (19/09) held a meeting with the Red-White Cabinet Ministers at Merdeka Palace, Jakarta. During the meeting, Minister of Social Affairs Syaifullah Yusuf reported that priority programs run by the Ministry, particularly the distribution of social assistance, are well-targeted.

Syaifullah explained that President Prabowo’s strategic measure for the effectiveness of social assistance distribution is implemented through a regulation, including Presidential Instruction Number 4 of 2025 on the use of the National Single Data in Social and Economy (DTSEN), managed by Statistics Indonesia. The DTSEN replaced the previous system called the Integrated Social Welfare Data (DTKS). In the DTSEN, the data is verified, validated, and categorized from decile one to decile ten. This promotes data accuracy for the distribution of social assistance.

“We conducted a ground check on 12 million beneficiary families. Together with Statistics Indonesia, we prepared assistance, and they prepared human resources. From this process, we found 1.9 million families who no longer meet the requirement. Therefore, we allocated the social assistance to families who need it more,” said Syaifullah.

He also noted that the government is tracing the beneficiaries who are involved in online gambling. This is to ensure that social assistance is well-targeted and avoids misuse.

“At this moment, those who have been proven guilty of gambling online will no longer receive social assistance. Except for those who desperately need social assistance, they should reactivate the data by reapplying to village offices or online application, managed by the Ministry and local social services office,” he added.

The Minister also reported that the distribution of social assistance has reached 75 percent in the third trimester. He also mentioned the President’s directives that social assistance should be acknowledged as a temporary support. Therefore, the social assistance beneficiaries should enroll in empowerment programs to promote economic sufficiency.

“We hope that social assistance is a temporary measure for their empowerment. Social assistance is temporary, empowerment is forever,” the Minister said.

President Prabowo instructed Minister of Social Affairs to also focus on other programs, including the two-meal program for 35 thousand people with disabilities, nutritional fulfilment for the elderly above 75, and other initiatives to enhance skills and business access. “We have a meal program for 35 thousand people with disabilities, for breakfast and lunch,” he added.

The Minister of Social Affairs will collaborate with business sectors, philanthropists, and NGOs to promote poverty alleviation, particularly extreme poverty. The Ministry will also coordinate with Ministry of Finance as well as the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) regarding budgeting and empowerment program.

“Therefore, every year, it can be evaluated. Those who no longer need social assistance, who advance and surpass the level,” he concluded.

(BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (RD/MUR)