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View all search resultsAnalysis: Smartphone plan coordination, planning under scrutiny
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Pay with ease: A buyer scans a Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS) to settle a transaction in Rangkasbitung, Banten, on Dec. 9, 2023. ( Antara/Muhammad Bagus Khoirunas)
S
pecial climate and energy envoy Hashim Djojohadikusumo, President Prabowo Subianto’s younger brother, has revealed a proposal to distribute free smartphones to social assistance (Bansos) recipients, but Coordinating Economy Minister Airlangga Hartarto has denied its existence. The conflicting statements have raised questions about how the initiative came to be announced, particularly as the government pursues a separate program to open bank accounts for 200 million people.
Hashim announced the free smartphone plan on Oct. 13, presenting it as a way to help Bansos recipients access digital banking services and receive government transfers. He linked the proposal to the government’s broader financial inclusion agenda, suggesting that smartphones would bridge the gap between opening bank accounts and enabling recipients to use them.
Following the announcement, Airlangga clarified that the government’s current plan involved opening bank accounts for up to 200 million people, with an initial deposit of Rp 50,000 (US$2.76) per account.
The rollout is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026, supported by a budget of around Rp 3.8 trillion. The program will be implemented through state-owned lenders Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) and Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI).
Airlangga’s denial leaves the status of the free smartphone proposal unclear and raises questions about whether it was properly coordinated with the government’s existing plans.
Hashim’s proposal initially seemed plausible because it addressed a practical challenge left unanswered by the mass account opening program: how recipients would access and use their new accounts. Providing smartphones alongside bank accounts could give recipients a direct channel for managing their finances and receiving social assistance, potentially reducing their reliance on intermediaries.
This apparent synergy, however, does not necessarily mean that distributing devices is the most effective or economical way to achieve financial inclusion.
