Indonesia aims to boost digital ID uptake in bid for greater efficiency

Indonesia is digitizing its civil registration services in a bid for greater efficiency as the country’s citizens enjoy improved convenience from online government access.

Indonesia’s Dukcapil, the government agency responsible for managing and maintaining the country’s population and civil registration data, is adopting digitalization.

“People now are more comfortable accessing public services online rather than having face-to-face interactions,” said Mensuseno, Dukcapil’s Director of National Population Data Integration. “And it is our responsibility to provide reliable digital services for now and the future,” he told GovInsider.

The director said the digitization of Dukcapil is driven by solving problems like reducing the need for travellers to repeatedly show their ID cards at airports or train stations. But it goes further than that as citizens become more familiar with Dukcapil’s integrated population service platform Identitas Kependudukan Digital (IKD), a digital ID that can be accessed on smartphones.

Now, Indonesians need only to input their personal data, mobile phone number and fill in the required documents when requesting the issuance of documents. Previously, applicants were required to go back and forth to the Dukcapil office.

“All applications for civil registration can be accessed online except for ID cards and KIA where applicants still have to go to the Dukcapil office for the biometric verification process,” Mensuseno said.

Getting more Indonesians onto digital ID

The next aim is to reduce applications for new physical ID cards and boost uptake of the IKD app and thereby improve efficiency.

As of December 2024, 18 million have switched to IKD. The switch from a physical ID to digital ID can save on printing and shipping costs that, over time and with millions of applications, can add up to significant budget outlay.

However, there is acknowledgement that not everyone can go fully digital since not every individual can purchase or operate a smartphone. But Mensuseno believes that in the future all population services will be fully digitalized.

Indonesia is one of the foremost countries in Southeast Asia implementing digital transformation and DPI, while Singapore has already deployed robust digital services for its population, and others such as Thailand and Malaysia are on their own DPI journeys.

On Linkedin, TOTM Technologies details how its Indonesian subsidiary InterBio has formed two consortiums. One of these will act as a consultant for Indonesia’s Ministry of Health to design and create health data architecture. The eventual goal is to provide “a more seamless patient-user interface,” according to the blog post.

The other consortium aims to design and establish a Maritime Cloud Platform (MCP) in Indonesia. This is significant as Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelagic country with more than 2,000 ports. The platform aims to “revolutionize Indonesia’s maritime sector by integrating cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and satellite technology,” according to the company.

TOTM Technologies also summarizes key takeaways from the trajectories of ASEAN digital transformation journeys; focusing on interoperability, inclusivity and resilience. The company notes that underlying successful DPI enactment is a Digital Trust Framework encompassing data privacy, cybersecurity, transparency and accountability.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  civil registration  |  digital government  |  digital ID  |  digital public infrastructure  |  Identitas Kependudukan Digital (IKD)  |  Indonesia  |  Totm Technologies