Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Indonesia’s Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) has uncovered a series of irregularities in the government’s social aid (bansos) program, suggesting that aid distribution by the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) is still missing its intended targets.
The findings emerged after PPATK analyzed aid recipient data for the first half of 2025. The review revealed cases ranging from recipients linked to online gambling to aid beneficiaries with unusually high bank balances or implausible job titles.
1.7 Million Listed, But No Aid Received
From an analysis of 10 million bank accounts registered as aid recipients, PPATK found that 1.7 million people on the list did not actually receive any government assistance. Meanwhile, 8.3 million verified recipients did receive their payments.
High-Balance Accounts Still Getting Aid
The agency also identified 56 accounts belonging to aid recipients with balances exceeding Rp50 million (around $3,100), raising questions about eligibility.
Ties to Online Gambling
PPATK reported that 78,000 aid recipients in the first half of 2025 were “actively” engaged in online gambling. By cross-referencing national ID numbers with suspicious financial transaction records.
Investigators also found 132,557 recipients involved in gambling activities, with total transactions amounting to Rp542.5 billion (about $33 million). West Java topped the list, with 49,431 aid recipients linked to gambling, racking up transactions worth Rp199 billion.
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Unusual Job Titles
PPATK flagged recipients holding positions that appeared inconsistent with the need for government aid. A probe into one distributing bank revealed 27,932 recipients registered as employees of state-owned enterprises (BUMN), 7,479 as doctors, and over 6,000 in executive or managerial roles.
Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf said the findings are now being jointly verified by the ministry, PPATK, and other authorities. Once confirmed, ineligible accounts will be removed from the program.
The investigation underscores persistent flaws in the targeting of social aid, highlighting the need for more accurate verification and data collection to ensure assistance reaches those who truly need it.
(Raidi/Agung)
