Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Economic Council (DEN) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Indonesia signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) on Monday to advance Indonesia's digital transformation through the Digital Nusantara initiative.

In a press release received by UNDP in Jakarta, Monday, this initiative supports President Prabowo Subianto's mandate to modernize public services and accelerate digital transformation for a unified national digital infrastructure.

DEN Chairperson Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan welcomed the collaboration. "This initiative is about improving public service delivery through integration and efficiency, as well as by providing tangible results for our people," he stated.

"With this unified digital system, we are cutting through bureaucracy and ensuring that government services, especially social assistance, reach the right people at the right time," he stressed.

UNDP Indonesia Resident Representative l Norimasa Shimomura described this partnership as a significant milestone.

"Digital transformation is not just about technology. It is about improving how public services reach people. We are proud to support DEN's leadership through the Digital Nusantara initiative to unlock the full potential of digital public infrastructure for inclusive and accountable governance," he stated.

Meanwhile, DEN Executive Secretary Septian Hario Seto explained that by building a secure and interoperable digital backbone, starting with social assistance, the government is creating a more efficient and responsive system.

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"This integration allows services to be delivered faster, more accurately, and with greater accountability, supporting the president's vision for a modern, inclusive, and resilient economy," he remarked.

With over 200 million mobile internet users and a digital economy projected to reach USD1945 billion in e-commerce alone by 2030, digital technology holds significant potential to accelerate Indonesia’s progress toward inclusive and sustainable development.

However, transitioning from fragmented digital platforms to a single, interoperable, secure, and scalable system requires significant technical, institutional, and cultural changes.

At the core of Indonesia's digital transformation is the use of the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) approach, integrating digital identification, authentication protocols, and data exchange.

DPI ensures that services such as social protection, civic registration, and health services are seamlessly accessible, transparent, and responsive to people's needs.

Through this partnership, DEN and UNDP will work to finalize the social protection digital system, foster greater awareness about the unified system, facilitate coordination across ministries, and expand to the next service DPI use case. These efforts aim to simplify access to government services, enable data-driven policymaking, enhance accountability, and boost Indonesia’s revenue.

The UNDP will provide strategic advisory support, technical assistance from national and international experts, and leverage local expertise and knowledge.

While initial efforts focus on supporting the government in finalizing the unified social protection system, this approach could eventually extend to other essential services, such as civil registration, health services, or a national payment platform.

These efforts could pave the way for more accessible, reliable, and people-centered public services across the country.

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Reporter: Asri Mayang Sari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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