A recent worldwide survey of Internet download speeds placed Palembang and the East Java capital of Surabaya near the bottom of the pile, both finishing in the bottom 12 in average download speed. An Internet user in Surabaya reportedly has to wait for up to an hour to download a song off the Web, which in this day and age is unacceptable.
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.
With the new system, citizens can submit a complaint online on issues concerning the House of Representatives or law enforcement.
According to House Speaker Marzuki Alie, under the new system, citizens can monitor the progress of their reports online.
Read more: Indonesia Launches Online Public Information Services
If successful, the state hopes the initiative will pave the way for a secure national ID system, or e-KTP. The end game, however, must be to develop a more efficient bureaucracy and to cut red tape.
Raydonnyzar Moenek, a spokesman with the Ministry of Home Affairs, told the Jakarta Globe that the government would begin handing out the new cards, also known as E-KTPs, in 197 districts, mostly in Java and Bali.
The E-KTP is being hailed by the government as a step forward that will simplify bureaucratic processes and improve national security by being tougher to forge.
Read more: ID: Electronic IDs Set for Debut In September, Ministry Says