IfG.CC - The Institute for eGovernment

“It’s like we’re planting right now. We will not get anything while planting but we will harvest in due time. We will see the results in five years if we keep improving it,” Eko Prasojo, the deputy minister for administrative reform, told a seminar on bureaucracy reform in Jakarta on Monday.

The spread of ICT devices has been remarkable. Given that the Internet did not came into public use until the 1990s, it has totally changed the rules of the game as the corporate world knew it. It has been the most vigorous catalyst of change and has been totally instrumental in creating deep social and organizational changes in a way that is nothing short of a paradigm shift.

Government needs to utilize technology advances to improve public service, given the current global development that has entered the era of digital reform, presidential candidate number 01 Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated.

"Therefore, reforms in public services are needed through the use of information and electronic technology such as e-government, e-procurement and e-budgeting to prepare (ourselves) for entering the digital era," Jokowi explained at the fourth round of presidential debate in Shangri-La Hotel, Jakarta, Saturday evening.

He said the e-health program would be implemented in coincide with the launching of the second generation of E-KTP, which would use microchips to hold owners’ personal data, including their health records.

Optical character recognition (OCR) software is not new. It gained popularity along with the rising popularity of flatbed scanners. Today’s OCR software has developed in leaps and bounds.

Intelligent Word Recognition (IWR) is the latest OCR technology. IWR is the recognition of unconstrained handwritten words; thus, IWR recognizes entire handwritten words or phrases instead of character-by-character, like OCR.

Communication and Informatics Minister Budi Arie Setiadi said here Tuesday that good internet speed is key for bringing about digital transformation in Indonesia.

"If we cannot increase internet speed, do not expect we can go through this digital transformation well," he added.

In fact, the main challenge is internet speed, which is not yet optimal, Setiadi underlined.

The capital city of Nusantara (IKN) will be developed as a world-class capital that carries the concept of a smart city. The development of a smart city needs to be accompanied by the implementation of technology, which aims to increase the operational efficiency of cities, public services, and the quality of life of the community.

Deputy for Green Transformation and Digital Authority of IKN, Prof. Mohammed Ali Berawi, said that the smart transportation system (ITS) is one of the features of a smart city that will be developed at IKN.

Indonesia and Singapore have agreed to establish cooperation in the field of electronic governance, which is the implementation of government activities using technology.

The agreement was marked by the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Indonesias Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Minister Yuddy Chrisnandi and Singapores Communications and Information Minister Yacoob Ibrahim.

• Launches firstly in Solo city, Indonesia as part of a revitalisation campaign
• Aimed at helping SMEs get back on feet before launching in other cities

Indonsian telco Indosat Tbk (Indosat Ooredoo) has announced the launch of its first commercial 5G services in the city of Solo.

The new 5G services offers Indosat Ooredoo's consumer and business customers access to enhanced mobile broadband internet, empowering the city’s economic recovery and digital transformation, the company said in a statement.

The Ministry of Communication and Informatics is supporting the development of the digital community in the Southeast Asia region by implementing four aspects of inclusive digital transformation acceleration.

"In supporting the realization of the ASEAN digital community, the Indonesian government is pushing four aspects of digital transformation acceleration, starting from strategic planning, connectivity, data utilization, to foreign cooperation," Communication and Informatics Minister's Special Staff for Digital and Human Resources Dedy Permadi stated in a press release on Saturday.

The Nusantara Capital Authority (OIKN) said that smart city investment is not only about technology but also about shaping people's quality of life.

"Investment in the smart city is not only about technology but also about shaping the quality of life of the community as a whole as well as preserving the surrounding environment," OIKN Deputy for Funding and Investment Agung Wicaksono stated here on Tuesday.

Deputy Governor of Jakarta Ahmad Riza Patria has invited alumni of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) to help develop the capital city into a smart city.

"The theme is to upgrade Jakarta into a smart city for big data," the Deputy Governor was quoted as saying in a statement issued by Jakarta's Alumni Association (IA) of ITB here on Sunday.

Authorities noted that even when migrant workers returned home for the Idul Fitri holiday, they did not take the opportunity to go and register for the e-ID card. The district office stayed open during the holiday to accommodate migrant workers who wished to register.

According to Deputy Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, the e-catalog system aims to remove redundant and inefficient procurement processes.

“By having the new system in place, we can simplify the bureaucratic procurement processes and improve transparency in our dealings with contractors and suppliers,” he said.

Announced by outgoing Governor Joko Widodo, shortly to be inaugurated as the next President of Indonesia, BPTSP brings together all licensing from Jakarta provincial agencies in a single service organisation which will establish branches at the village and district level.

City to partner with local delivery tracking app Go-Jek.

Jakarta’s public bus operator TransJakarta will develop a mobile app for people to track the arrival times of buses at bus stops.

The app will allow people to track the location of bus drivers and estimate when buses will arrive at the bus stops, said Steve Kosasih, CEO of TransJakarta.

The Jakarta provincial government and the Jakarta Encryption Agency on Friday (29/4) signed a cooperation deal to implemented the electronic permit certificate program aimed at preventing document forgery.

“With this electronic permit certificate, things will be fast and without hassle,” said Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama.

According to Jakarta Vice Governor, Basuki T Purnama, the e-payment system, which is called e-Money or money card, is expected to improve commuting experience in the city by providing commuters with a fast and convenient way to settle payments in Transjakarta stops.

The initiative is in a bid to curb the epidemic of building permit violations that have spread across the city’s five municipalities, said P2B Head I Putu Ngurah Indiana.

Developers and building owners have the tendency to avoid applying for a building permit properly due to its difficult and slow process they have to go through, he said.

Both Jakarta and West Java capital Bandung have both been deemed "smart cities" in a region-wide research project from the Economist Intelligence Unit, thanks to recent technology programs adopted by local government in both cities. Jakarta and Bandung are among 20 cities across Southeast Asia and Asia-Pacific identified by Startup My City, a research program by EIU, a branch of the Economist Group which provides global economic data and advisory services for industry overviews, and sponsored by Hitachi.