Indonesia Expands Digital Social Protection Trial to 42 Regions Indonesia will expand trials of its digital social protection platform, known as Perlinsos, to 42 cities and districts in June 2026. The initiative represents a significant scale-up of a pilot programme designed to modernise welfare distribution through integrated digital public infrastructure. By linking administrative and population data across agencies, the government aims to improve the accuracy and accessibility of social assistance programmes for millions of residents. According to official reporting, the next phase will expand far beyond the initial pilot launched in Banyuwangi, East Java, in September 2025. Mira Tayyiba, Director General of Digital Government Technology at the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, said the rollout represents a forty-two-fold increase in scale compared with the earlier trial. Scaling Up a National Digital Welfare Platform The Digital Social Protection system is the country’s first integrated welfare platform built on an upgraded Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) framework. The system is designed to streamline public service delivery by improving connectivity between government databases and simplifying the process for citizens to access support programmes. Residents can register through the social welfare portal to apply for assistance programmes such as the Family Hope Program (PKH) and Non-Cash Food Assistance (BPNT). During the Banyuwangi pilot, around 350,000 residents registered through the platform to receive financial and food support. The expanded trial is expected to reach more than 36 million people, equivalent to approximately 1.1 million households. Participating regions span several parts of the country, including Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and eastern Indonesia. Infrastructure and Connectivity Remain Key Challenges To support the larger rollout, the government is preparing technical measures to ensure the system functions reliably across participating regions. These include strengthening the Government Service Connectivity System and improving internet access in areas where digital infrastructure remains