Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform (PAN-RB) Minister Abdullah Azwar Anas said the achievement not only showed the progress of the Indonesian government's digital transformation, but also provided a positive impact on public services and community participation.

"This achievement shows Indonesia's commitment to the digital transformation of the government through sustainable development. We are always optimistic that the ideal of the nation to provide increasingly accessible public services will be realized through integrated digital services," he said in Jakarta on Thursday.

During Indonesia’s first participation in 2008, it ranked 106th, slipping one position to 107th in 2018 when development tended to stagnate. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s commitment in the form of Presidential Regulation No. 95/2018 on SPBE resulted in a significant jump of 43 positions, ranking 88th place in 2020, 77th in 2022 and 64th in 2024.

The UN E-Government Survey 2024 carries the theme "accelerating digital transformation for sustainable development", aiming to help member countries identify their respective strengths and challenges in implementing digital government services. This year, it has also included a strategy for implementing artificial intelligence in improving the quality of public services.

Indonesia's overall score of 0.7991 places the country in the Very High E-Government Development Index (VHEGDI) category for the first time.

The survey assesses the country's performance based on three main parameters: Online Service Index (OSI), Telecommunication Infrastructure Index (TII) and Human Capital Index (HCI).

Indonesia’s OSI score of 0.8035 showed that numerous government services can now be easily accessed digitally by the public. In addition, its TII score of 0.8645 reflects the strengthening of networks and internet access throughout the region, including in remote areas. Meanwhile, a HCI score of 0.7293 places Indonesia above the global and Asian regional average.

At the same time, Indonesia recorded significant progress in the E-Participation Index, rising two ranks from 37 to 35 with a score of 0.7945, reflecting an increasing public participation in digital government. This indicates that citizens are increasingly actively involved in the decision-making process, which is expected to strengthen democracy and increase transparency in government.

Furthermore, Indonesia recorded a score of 0.8718 in the Open Government Data Index, successfully maintaining its position in the Very High Open Government Data Index (VHOGDI) category. This highlights the government's commitment to ensuring public access to data, which encourages transparency and facilitates public participation in monitoring and decision-making.

The UN emphasizes that the digital divide is still a major issue, especially in developing countries. Unequal access and varying capacities can threaten progress toward the 2030 agenda, which in turn requires countries including Indonesia to accelerate their efforts and innovations in bridging the gap.

At the global level, the gap in access and utilization of digital technology has the potential to further widen the gap between developed and developing countries.

Anas said the survey results should be followed up with improvements. The PANRB Ministry as the chair of the National SPBE Coordination Team, he continued, should use the momentum to strengthen the implementation of SPBE throughout Indonesia.

The former Head of the National Public Procurement Agency (LKPP) said cooperation with various parties was necessary, especially in improving telecommunications infrastructure, human resource development and effective digital governance.

Targeted improvement strategies must be focused on strengthening telecommunications infrastructure as well as improving governance and services. Meanwhile, training and capacity building for government officials and the community are of the utmost importance in order to optimally utilize the technology.

Anas added that the Indonesian government's commitment to digital transformation was also demonstrated by the existence of INA DIGITAL as GovTech Indonesia. "Currently, we already have INA DIGITAL, which consists of Indonesia's best digital talents to help realize integrated digital services," he said.

In the near future, the government will also carry out a limited release in stages on the three initial products developed by INA DIGITAL: the INA ku, INA gov and INA pas applications. The limited release phase 1 (alpha), planned for the fourth week of September 2024, marks a new era in the government’s digital transformation.

Digital government is one of the pillars in supporting national digital transformation, becoming the main strategy in building an effective and inclusive government, in line with the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

"It is hoped that all elements of the nation can contribute to the development of digital government, prioritizing collaboration and innovation to face global challenges," Anas concluded.