Indonesia Pushes Digital ID for Social Aid Distribution

Hani Syopiar Rustam, Secretary of the Directorate General of Population and Civil Registration (Dukcapil) at the Ministry of Home Affairs, has called on local governments to strongly support the activation of Digital Population Identification (IKD). She emphasized that IKD serves as the primary gateway for the social protection system. During a working visit to Belitung Timur Regency, Rustam highlighted the commitment of the local leadership in providing better services, particularly for social aid distribution.

Rustam explained that Dukcapil data has been matched with the National Socio-Economic Single Data (DTSEN) across 10 welfare clusters. This integration links electronic ID card (KTP-el) identity with household economic profiles. The digitalization of social aid through IKD is expected to transform the old distribution methods, which often failed to reach the intended recipients.

IKD, as a representation of KTP-el, secures recipient data, ensuring that aid is only disbursed to authorized individuals through biometric verification or real-time digital systems. To support this, the government will conduct Training of Trainers (TOT) for officials and social workers to assist the public in using the digital social aid system. Belitung Timur was officially designated as the sole pilot region in Bangka Belitung Province for the 2026 Digital Social Assistance program.

Belitung Timur's Deputy Regent, Khairil Anwar, detailed the strategic steps for the pilot program's success. Intensive socialization, conducted through the local communication and informatics office, aims to build understanding of digital transformation in aid distribution. Anwar instructed all civil servants in the regency government to actively disseminate accurate information to prevent public misunderstanding. Data updates are also a key focus, with open registration for aid recipients scheduled from June to July 2026. Registration can be done independently via the social protection portal or with assistance at dedicated service points staffed by village pendamping agents, ensuring accessibility for those with limited digital technology access.