"We in Surabaya have done all services digitally, starting from planning to licensing," he informed at the forum.
The event was attended by thousands of participants, including district heads and mayors from various parts of Indonesia.
Surabaya started implementing the smart city concept in 2002, the mayor said.
Several applications and systems have been created and implemented by the Surabaya city government to provide the best public service, he added.
According to him, his office can now monitor poverty, stunting rates, the performance of each city government apparatus, and budget absorption in real time.
He said that the heads of regional apparatuses, sub-districts, and villages in Surabaya have signed commitments to achieving the targets set by him.
"I can monitor all of that because everything is electronic-based," he informed.
Surabaya has been entrusted with hosting the 2023 National Smart City Forum because it is one of the cities where all services are digital-based and it is ready to run the smart city concept, he added.
He said he was also grateful for the high enthusiasm among officials from various regions, as seen from the high attendance of district heads and mayors at the forum.
"Now is not the time for regions to compete against each other, nor who is the best, but this is the time for all regions to unite to change for the better for the community," he remarked.
Meanwhile, expert staff at the Communication and Information Ministry, Mochamad Hadiyana, said that the smart city movement is expected to accelerate the development of smart cities and districts in Indonesia.
Therefore, it is hoped that districts and cities can collaborate on increasing effectiveness and efficiency in smart city development, he added.
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Translator: Abdul H, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2023
