Ismi Damayanti and Shotaro Tani, Jakarta – Siti Alfira's family has been hoping to receive some financial assistance ever since the Indonesian government announced plans in April to pr

Alexander R Arifianto and Jonathan Chen – As an emerging economy, Indonesia has made significant progress alleviating poverty within the past four decades.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Ombudsman has received hundreds of complaints about the distribution of COVID-19 social aid, including alleged recipient data manipulation and benefit cuts.

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Marchio Irfan Gorbiano, Jakarta – The government missed its self-appointed target of disbursing cash transfer assistance ahead of Idul Fitri on Sunday, as various city and regency admi

Made Anthony Iswara, Jakarta – Members of the Indonesian diaspora are lending a hand in the domestic struggle against COVID-19, although they have said that the government could do mor

Eisya A. Eloksari, Jakarta – The government has tried out a facial recognition verification system to make it easier for recipients to claim social assistance.

Marchio Irfan Gorbiano, Jakarta – The COVID-19 crisis has exposed fundamental problems in the distribution of social assistance, particularly the lack of reliable recipient data, as th

Heru Asiprihanto, Adi Kurniawan, Depok, Indonesia – Alarmed by how the coronavirus pandemic has left many Indonesians destitute, a group of volunteers are providing free meals to vulne

Hendartyo Hanggi, Dio Suhenda (Intern Translator), Jakarta – West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil has expressed his concerns over the inflating number of social aid recipients, as it has in

Tara Marchelin, Jakarta – The Indonesian Ombudsman said complaints about the government's social aid programs dominated hundreds of inquiries to its new Covid-19 online complaint cente

Suherdjoko, Semarang – The Central Java administration is set to distribute sembako (staple food packages) to its residents living in Greater Jakarta, as the COVID-19 crisis has seen a

Jakarta – The COVID-19 economic downturn has caused two thirds of West Java residents to need assistance, governor Ridwan Kamil has said, while criticizing the central government for m

Ghina Ghaliya, Jakarta – Since Jakarta implemented large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) to curb the spread of COVID-19, 38-year-old Rasmono from Batang, Central Java, has lost his li

Ghina Ghaliya, Jakarta – Social Affairs Minister Juliari Batubara has responded to mounting criticism surrounding the delivery of aid, saying the data discrepancies in social assistanc

Apriza Pinandita, Jakarta – President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has called for transparency in the distribution of social assistance in response to the COVID-19 outbreak amid mounting issue

Sausan Atika, Ganug Nugroho Adi and Fadli, Batam/Jakarta – While millions of people out of work are depending on the arrival of social assistance to weather the COVID-19 crisis, bureau

Victoria Fanggidae and Jonatan A Lassa – As the world hits a perfect storm of COVID-19, governments worldwide are encountering the most challenging and noble tasks in their history: to

Jakarta – A photograph of Klaten Regent Sri Mulyani printed on a packet of social assistance (bansos) for those impacted upon by the corona virus (Covid-19) epidemic has attracted a po

Adrian Wail Akhlas, Jakarta – The government has disbursed around Rp 70 billion (US$4.5 million) in cash assistance for some 116,000 families using village funds to help them cope with

Hendarsyah Tarmizi, Jakarta – Indonesia's low internet penetration rate has impeded the effectiveness of the government's COVID-19 social assistance programs as the government relies h

Ghina Ghaliya, Jakarta – East Bolaang Mongondow (Boltim) Regent Sehan Salim Landjar in South Sulawesi is in the spotlight after expressing his disappointment toward President Joko "Jok

Dyaning Pangestika, Jakarta – The National Alms Agency (Baznas) has reminded its agencies across the nation to help campaign against donation distribution involving mass gatherings dur

Suherdjoko, Salatiga, Central Java – The Social Affairs Ministry plans to establish children's welfare centers in 111 regencies in Indonesia.

Jakarta – The Finance Ministry has revealed that spending on social welfare reached Rp 60.33 trillion (US$4.26 billion) at the end of May, a year-on-year (yoy) increase of 53.7 percent

Jakarta – The government has intensified the disbursement of its social assistance to low-income households ahead of the April 17 presidential and legislative elections.

The problem of deciding who is really poor and who really deserves government assistance is a tough one anywhere but especially in countries like Indonesia where a large percentage of

Tabita Diela, Jakarta – Indonesian economists and opposition officials have questioned the feasibility of President Joko Widodo's plan for cash handouts to the unemployed, citing an al

Jakarta – The campaign team of presidential candidate pair Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Ma'ruf Amin has asserted that the pre-employment card, which is one of the incumbent's campaign prom

Estevao Nuno – The Director of the organization BELUN, Luis da Costa Ximenes, urges the Secretariat of State for the Combatants of the National Liberation (SEAKLN) to verify the data a

Jakarta – Statistics Indonesia has said an increase in social assistance from the government for low income families last year helped boost people's purchasing power, the main aspect i

Jakarta – The Jakarta Smart Card Plus (KJP Plus) has reportedly deviated from its initial purpose as an education scheme to providing cash for various expenses, due to poor monitoring,

Jakarta (Bloomberg) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo will double cash handouts to the poor next year ahead of general elections in April.

Jakarta – The government has doubled the allocation of cash assistance distributed through the Family Hope Program.

Jakarta – Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has denied accusations that the significant jump in the allocation of social assistance to poor households was a political motive ahead

Jon Afrizal, Jakarta – The government and the Workers Social Security Agency (BPJS Ketenagakerjaan) are now preparing a mechanism for providing unemployed citizens with benefits, said M

Paulina Quintao – Voters in this year's presidential election have urged the elected president to eliminate the life pension law.

Thomas Ora, Dili – The director of the youth commission for Dili Diocese has criticized the Timor-Leste government for not doing enough to curb unemployment.

Paulina Quintao – Unemployment across the country has reached 11%, with mostly graduates among the jobless, according to 2013 research by the Secretary of State for Vocational Training Policy and E

Paulina Quintso – There are calls for the Ministry of Social Solidarity (MSS) to change the aged payment system as most recipients are unable to walk to collect their benefits.

Jakarta – The public is dissatisfied with the government's ability to implement its social-assistance programs, according to a recent survey.

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – The House of Representatives is investigating the performance of the Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) as the agency has run into financial diffic

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – The Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) has revealed that its claim ratio is expected to pass 100 percent by the end of the year, a sign

SP/Fana FS Putra, Jakarta – Forty-three-year-old Lestari had no choice but to move from her home on the banks of the Sentiong River in North Jakarta's Sunter Agung ward after it was dem

Herman & Made Arya Kencana – Activists have called for the government to conduct a thorough audit into Askes and Jamsostek, the two biggest state-run insurance companies, which on W

Slamet Susanto, Bantul – The temporary direct cash assistance (BLSM) for poor people in Bantul regency, Yogyakarta, may have been inappropriately distributed as more than 25,000, 30 per

Jakarta – Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker Budiman Sudjatmiko on Wednesday expressed concern over remarks uttered by Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi in which he blamed the vill

Social-protection systems in many Asia-Pacific middle-income countries, including Indonesia, are failing to support large numbers of poor and vulnerable people due to a lack of spending

Jakarta – Temporary Direct Assistance to the Public (BLSM) could be ineffective because it may not be spent as intended.

Ridho Syukra – The government's temporary direct cash assistance program to offset higher fuel prices could increase the poverty rate if recipients do not use it properly, the country's