Anggaran Pembagian HP Gratis Capai Rp 75 Triliun, Belum Termasuk Subsidi Internet

Thecuy.com – The government may need a budget of up to Rp 75 trillion in the first year to implement a plan to give away free mobile phones to the public in order to support the digitalization of social assistance distribution.

Assuming a reach of about 50 million people and a basic phone price of Rp 1.2 million to Rp 1.5 million per unit, device costs alone could amount to Rp 60 trillion to Rp 75 trillion. “That figure does not yet include various supporting costs, such as public education, complaint centers, system maintenance, initial balances, and device replacement every three or four years,” Yusuf told kumparan on Wednesday (14/10).

In addition to procuring devices, the government also needs to provide internet data subsidies for recipients. Assuming a subsidy of Rp 30 thousand to Rp 50 thousand per month, the budget requirement is estimated to increase by Rp 18 trillion to Rp 30 trillion per year. “Such a figure must be seriously weighed against the benefits actually generated,” he said.

Yusuf believes that digitalising social assistance distribution can indeed reduce field levies, strengthen audit trails, and expand public access to formal financial services. However, mass distribution of mobile phones may not necessarily be the most effective solution for improving the accuracy of aid delivery. In his view, the main problem with social assistance distribution is not merely the availability of accounts or digital devices, but the accuracy of recipient data.

Because some recipients of the Family Hope Program (PKH) and Non‑Cash Food Assistance (BPNT) already receive assistance through Himbara bank accounts and the Prosperous Family Card. “Accounts are merely a distribution tool. The source of mis‑targeting remains in the quality of recipient data. If the data is not accurate, digitalisation will only accelerate erroneous distribution,” he explained.

Yusuf also believes that the claim that the program’s cost could be offset by savings from digitalization needs to be proven. Assuming a social protection budget of around Rp 500 trillion, a 1‑percent reduction in leakage would generate savings of around Rp 5 trillion per year. “This means the program may not be able to finance itself in the short term,” he said.

Therefore, Yusuf suggested that the government make use of mobile phones already owned by the public and provide devices and data subsidies only to recipients who truly need them. “A more efficient approach is to make use of mobile phones already owned by the public, then provide devices and data subsidies only to recipients who truly need them. The government should not turn the social assistance distribution program into a mass device distribution program,” he said.

Similarly, an economist at the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef), Rizal Taufikurahman, believes that the free mobile phone distribution program could burden the state budget if not accompanied by a clear measurement of economic benefits. Assuming a phone price of Rp 1 million to Rp 1.5 million per unit, Rizal estimates that distributing devices to 10 million recipients would require a budget of Rp 10 trillion to Rp 15 trillion, excluding operational and supporting infrastructure costs.

“The problem is not just the state budget’s ability to finance it, but the magnitude of the fiscal opportunity cost when that budget could be used to strengthen social assistance, education, health, and economic empowerment,” Rizal said.

According to Rizal, giving away mobile phones does not automatically solve the problem of financial inclusion and public welfare. Obstacles that need to be addressed by the government include digital access disparities, low financial literacy, and weak accuracy of social assistance recipient data. He also believes that digitalising transactions does not automatically increase tax revenue significantly. The majority of social assistance recipients are low‑income groups with limited tax capacity.

“Increasing state revenue requires expanding formal economic activity, productivity, and tax compliance, not merely adding digital accounts for the poor,” he said.

Rizal added that the government should prioritize data integration, system interoperability, and evaluation of the effectiveness of social assistance distribution before carrying out massive device procurement. “The measure of a policy’s success is not the number of mobile phones distributed, but how much budget leakage is reduced, target accuracy improves, and public welfare truly improves,” he said.

Previously, the President’s Special Envoy for Climate and Energy of the Republic of Indonesia, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, revealed the government’s plan to distribute mobile phones to the public to support the digitalization of financial services and social assistance distribution. Hashim said the government plans to provide bank accounts to people who do not yet have access to banking.

The government also assigned Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI) and Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) to facilitate the opening of accounts for people who do not yet have bank accounts. Not only accounts, the government also plans to provide mobile phones equipped with digital accounts so that people can access financial services and receive assistance digitally. “Every citizen will be given a mobile phone equipped with a digital account. All funds will be available there and will be distributed to each person’s account,” Hashim said.

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