Indonesia to roll out digital ID, other DPI platforms this year

The Indonesian government says a digital ID, an instant digital payments service and a data exchange platform will be launched in the second half of 2024 as the country looks forward to building a complete digital public infrastructure (DPI) ecosystem.

According to reporting by Gov Insider, the rollout of these services through dedicated apps is intended to facilitate the way Indonesians get access to a wide collection of government and private sector services. Other sectors to be covered by the digitization program include healthcare, education, social welfare and police services.

Last year, the country revised its Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) legislation to make room for the launch of a digital identity ecosystem to enable ID authentication for access to public services.

The announcement for the rollout of these DPI items in the third quarter of 2024 comes after the country’s President Joko Widodo, last month, issued a decree on the Acceleration of Digital Transformation and Integration of National Digital Services.

Abdullah Azwar Anas, minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform is quoted by Gov Insider as saying that the presidential decree will add traction to Indonesia’s digital transformation drive as it sets the template for the rollout of integrated digital services that can improve the daily lives of citizens.

The system, the official says, will place a premium on data security and interoperability among nine priority sectors that will be digitized first.

“People will no longer need to bring a physical identity to access services, they just need to show their digital identity via smartphones. Likewise, processing documents, registering for healthcare and education services, and more will become easier,” Anas said as quoted by Gov Insider.

Apart from the apps to be launched, there are a number of existing ones which shall be upgraded and extended as part of the plan.

Last year, the government also designated the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of Indonesia (Peruri) as the technology agency (GovTech) in charge of overseeing the digital transformation program.

Anas defended the choice of Peruri, saying it has the institutional and financial capacity to deal with all impediments and ensure the rapid integration of digital services across the various sectors involved. In the past five years, the agency is credited with having developed a number of digital security products and services.

Peruri officials, meanwhile, have called for support from stakeholders including tech innovators for the digitization process to succeed.

Speaking at a seminar last November, President Director of Peruri Dwina Septiani Wijaya said the body will discharge its duties with focus on three issues, namely a “citizen-centric public services, universally accessible platforms, and a whole of government approach to modernizing the public sector.”

In another report, Gov Insider writes that Peruri has also launched a sandbox for startups and other ecosystem entities to showcase their capabilities and share ideas on how to support the digitization process.

The sandbox is expected to last for five months, and will allow participating startups the opportunity to trial their innovative solutions. Peruri says it will oversee the program using a security-first approach.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital government  |  digital ID  |  digital payments  |  digital public infrastructure  |  Indonesia