Presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo and running mate Mahfud MD have pledged to improve the distribution of social assistance funds to ensure they are more targeted and more effective at reaching intended beneficiaries.

Ganjar made the statement in response to rumors that the candidate pair were hesitant to continue the social aid program if they were elected.

“Who said that [we will stop social aid]? It’s just a gimmick to spread fear,” said Ganjar after visiting a cigarette factory in Bantul, Yogyakarta, on Tuesday, as quoted by Antara. 

Ganjar said he believed social assistance was a responsibility of the state, part of its obligation to ensure the well-being of the public, a mandate of the state budget.

The former Central Java governor added that he felt the government’s social aid program was running well, although he acknowledged persisting issues such as data inaccuracies and disparities in distribution. He promised to address these shortcomings if he won the presidency.

"What you get from social assistance in one place differs from what you get in another. Because of that, we will resolve these issues and enhance [the program]," Ganjar said.

To address this, Ganjar outlined his proposed KTP Sakti program, which aims to digitalize the population registry and provide more detailed, comprehensive data. The new data is to include categorization based on sectors, which Ganjar claimed would benefit not only social assistance distribution but also other initiatives such as the distribution of subsidized fertilizer.

"With KTP Sakti, we look to put an end to extortion during social assistance distribution and prevent the recording of duplicate data. By bringing everything into one system, Ganjar-Mahfud aim to make Indonesia better and more prosperous," Ganjar concluded.

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