If we avoid it, we will be left behind in the current competitive situation.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Home Affairs Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian has called for the implementation of smart cities across Indonesia to improve the government’s efficiency and supports people’s activities in all sectors.

The concept of a smart city has developed fast and it is needed by the community amid the advancement of information and communications technology, he said in Surabaya, East Java, on Wednesday at the opening of the Integrated Technology Event (ITE), which has been organized in a hybrid format from December 1–2, 2021.

Hence, it is important for all government officers to be responsive and understand the people's demands for quick public services, he added.

He then asked them to use information technology to help them make decisions quickly and precisely based on accurate data.

"We cannot avoid the change in technology. If we avoid it, we will be left behind in the current competitive situation," the minister emphasized.

Local governments are required to prepare various supporting infrastructures to bolster the smart city concept, including technology-savvy human resources, adequate information infrastructure, support data digitization, as well as budget digitization to make it more transparent, he said.

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"The attempt will encourage continuous innovation and create a competitive environment," he said.

However, he said he hoped that the concept will not only be interpreted as a project to provide information technology infrastructure, but also a transformation of the working culture of government officers.

Furthermore, Karnavian said that smart cities must also be able to combine the concept of information technology-based governance and green city.

"Currently, smart cities do not only focus on the use of information technology, but have also begun to adopt the concept of green city," he added.

The opening of the ITE was also attended by the Governor of East Java, Khofifah Indar Parawansa; director general of regional administration development at the ministry, Safrizal ZA; and a number of heads of districts/cities.

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Translator: Boyke Watra, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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