Connecting the Dots: Making Digital Government a Reality in Indonesia

Third, expand the Life Event approach beyond birth registration to include education, employment, marriage, business licensing, healthcare, taxation, social protection, retirement, and end-of-life services. Government should be organised around citizens’ journeys, not institutional boundaries.

Fourth, implement the Once Only Principle across all ministries. Citizens should never be asked repeatedly for information that the government already possesses. This will reduce bureaucracy, improve service quality, and create a truly seamless digital experience.

Fifth, develop a National Government API Ecosystem that enables ministries, local governments, state-owned enterprises, and authorised private-sector partners to securely exchange information while maintaining data ownership and privacy. This will encourage innovation without compromising governance.

Sixth, prepare Indonesia for the AI era by building trusted, high-quality government data. Artificial Intelligence can only generate reliable outcomes when it operates on verified digital identities, interoperable data, and strong governance. Digital Public Infrastructure is therefore the prerequisite for responsible AI in government.

Finally, digital transformation must be viewed as a national development agenda rather than an information technology project. Just as roads, ports, airports, electricity, and telecommunications enabled Indonesia’s industrial growth, Digital Public Infrastructure will become the strategic infrastructure that supports future public services, economic competitiveness, investment, financial inclusion, healthcare, education, and national resilience.

Indonesia has a unique opportunity to become the leading Digital Public Infrastructure ecosystem in ASEAN and one of the largest in the world. By connecting Digital Identity, interoperable government data, secure digital infrastructure, and citizen-centric services through INAku, Indonesia can build a government that is simpler, faster, more transparent, and more trusted by its people.

The challenge before us is no longer whether we have the technology. The challenge is whether we have the leadership, governance, and institutional commitment to connect every piece into one coherent digital ecosystem. Once we achieve that, Digital Government will no longer be a vision—it will become the everyday experience of every Indonesian citizen.