Gov’t Enforces National Single Data to Fix Social Aid Distribution

Minister of Social Affairs Syaifullah Yusuf delivers a press statement following a limited meeting at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Monday (06/02). (Photo by: BPMI of Presidential Secretariat)

In a bid to ensure that social aid is distributed right on target, the Government has issued Presidential Instruction Number 4 of 2025 on National Social and Economic Single Data.

According to Minister of Social Affairs Syaifullah Yusuf, the Presidential Instruction was issued following President Prabowo Subianto’s directives for accurate social aid distribution.

“We already have the national social and economic single data and it must be used as a reference by whoever intends to disburse the Government’s aid, including ministries, agencies, and local governments,” the Minister said in a press statement following a limited meeting at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, Monday (06/02).

The Government, Syaifullah added, remains dedicated to improving the accuracy of social aid distribution and it includes reforming beneficiary data to ensure assistance is directed to those in genuine need and evaluating various social aid programs that revealed notable distribution inaccuracies.

“Several programs failed to reach the intended targets. For instance, 45% of the assistance from the Family Hope and Staple Food Programs was distributed incorrectly,” he stated.

Ministry of Social Affairs has launched a trial of the single data system to distribute social assistance in the second quarter.

This trial revealed that 1.9 million beneficiaries did not meet the required criteria, resulting in inclusion errors, while some eligible citizens were left off the list, leading to exclusion errors.

“We intend to make sure that all social aid is distributed right on target,” Syaifullah said, adding that the Government has also distributed additional assistance to beneficiaries, including 10 kilograms of rice for each of 18.3 million beneficiary families, with a total value of over Rp11 trillion.

“There are two crucial matters. The first is beneficiary family [data] correction, and the second is the addition [of assistance], which became one of the President’s focuses, for beneficiary groups, especially those in the first decile—living in poverty and extreme poverty,” the Minister remarked. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (DH/EP)