- 26/04/2018
- Category: Commentaries
In 2009, the Indonesian government launched its e-KTP project. KTP, short for Kartu Tanda Penduduk or national identification card, is a must-have for Indonesian citizens aged 17 and above. With the e-KTP project, the revamped ID card will be able to store biometric data electronically, meaning that the ID card can be updated easily and will be harder to duplicate. However, after almost a decade since its launching, there are still widespread unresolved problems around the implementation of the project. Why does it seem like the Indonesian government has made no progress on this issue?
With the 5.9 trillion Rupiah budget allocated for the project, it became one of the Indonesian government’s megaprojects. As discussed previously,[i] every citizen must already have or is in the process of applying to get an e-KTP to enjoy other government public services, such as national health insurance and acquiring a driver’s license. However, the Minister of Home Affairs noted that until December 2017 up to 2.3 million Indonesian citizens still do not have an e-KTP.[ii]
The problems found in Indonesia’s e-KTP program shows the underlying issues that the Indonesian government need to resolve urgently. A few of the main problems are the high number of citizens who are still waiting to get their e-KTP, the recording process that can only be done in individuals’ hometown, and the waiting time which could take years. It is also very costly.[iii] While waiting, citizens will only get a KTP replacement certificate (Surat Keterangan Pengganti KTP) form, but this also needs to be updated every six months. Meanwhile, getting a new form is also a challenge, as with so many still on the waiting list it becomes scarce in several areas, particularly outside of Java. It is no wonder that some people are reluctant to submit their e-KTP application.
After citizens receive their e-KTP, will the problems be solved? Unfortunately, no. Last month, a report said approximately only 7 million ID cards are activated out of the 150 million that are already distributed. Without the activation, the e-KTP biometric data such as a fingerprint cannot be accessed and remain locked. [iv] In some rare cases, the distributed e-KTP cards may contain some mistakes and imperfections in the personal information that could disappoint individuals after the long waiting time.[v]
What, then, are the problems for e-government in Indonesia that we can identify from this project? First, the development disparity is evident as most reported problems originated from rural areas outside of Java. In big cities, it is now possible to get quicker service as they have the proper equipment available and more accessible access. However, in rural areas, especially outside of Java, the staff and citizens do not have the same luxury. This leads to the second issue, which is the lack of supporting infrastructure that hampers the progress of these projects. Low internet speed, long queues, difficult access to get to governmental offices, power outages, and the lack of skilled human resources to operate the technology are some of the problems often encountered there.[vi][vii]
Third, rampant corruption is still a significant obstacle that hinders this country’s development. Indonesia has an on-going investigation into the e-KTP corruption scandal which arguably caused a delay in the production of e-KTP cards. The corruption massively cut the budget and leads to unpaid bills owed to Biomorf Lone Indonesia, the US-based subcontractor that played a big part in the project, which refused to continue working on the project.
Compared to other countries in South East Asia, Indonesia’s project to develop single national identity system can be considered late. We may have to wait even longer as we still have to figure out how to solve the problems of the e-KTP project. However, I believe that Indonesia is already going in the right direction. The awareness of e-government has risen and will continue to push the development, including solving complexities the government is currently facing. Citizen participation will be crucial to speed up the process. Thus, socialization, especially in rural areas, is essential to ensure that citizen participation remains high. I still believe the development of e-government in Indonesia is possible to be completed soon as long as we work together as a nation.
Editors: Atin Prabandari MA(IR) & Nabeel Khawarizmy Muna, S.IP
[i] Azis, U. (2016). Settling Down E-KTP Recording Process – Center for Digital Society. [online] cfds.fisipol.ugm.ac.id. Available at: http://cfds.fisipol.ugm.ac.id/article/61/settling-down-e-ktp-recording-process [Accessed 15 Apr. 2018].
[ii] Sukmana, Y. (2017). Lagi, Mendagri Minta Maaf karena E-KTP Masih Banyak Masalah. [online] KOMPAS.com. Available at: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2017/12/21/15011091/lagi-mendagri-minta-maaf-karena-e-ktp-masih-banyak-masalah [Accessed 17 Apr. 2018].
[iii] Utama, A. (2017). Proyek e-KTP: Kisah perjuangan mendapatkan sekeping kartu identitas. [online] BBC News Indonesia. Available at: http://www.bbc.com/indonesia/indonesia-42326444 [Accessed 15 Apr. 2018].
[iv] Hidayat, F. (2018). Dari 150 Juta e-KTP, Hanya Sekitar 7 Juta yang Sudah Diaktivasi. [online] detiknews. Available at: https://news.detik.com/berita/d-3912374/dari-150-juta-e-ktp-hanya-sekitar-7-juta-yang-sudah-diaktivasi [Accessed 15 Apr. 2018].
[v] Radlis, M. (2017). Bertahun-tahun Nunggu e-KTP, Setelah Jadi Ternyata Fotonya Begini – Tribunnews.com. [online] Tribunnews.com. Available at: http://www.tribunnews.com/regional/2017/07/20/bertahun-tahun-nunggu-e-ktp-setelah-jadi-ternyata-fotonya-begini [Accessed 15 Apr. 2018].
[vi] Siska, W. (2018). e-KTP Sulit Selesai 1×24 Jam | Sumatera Ekspres. [online] Sumatera Ekspres. Available at: http://sumeks.co.id/e-ktp-sulit-selesai-1×24-jam/ [Accessed 17 Apr. 2018].
[vii] Syahid, F. (2018). Pembuatan e-KTP Terkendala Pengiriman Data. [online] batampos.co.id. Available at: https://batampos.co.id/2018/04/05/pembuatan-e-ktp-terkendala-pengiriman-data/ [Accessed 17 Apr. 2018].
