T

he government is preparing a presidential regulation (Perpres) on open data, allowing the public to enjoy greater access to data.

The deputy chief of staff at the Executive Office of the President for analysis and oversight of strategic issues on social, cultural and ecological affairs, Yanuar Nugroho, said the Perpres would be signed by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo this year.

“We want the perpres on open data to be signed this year and to be fully running next year,” he said.

The idea behind open data is to improve the quality and accessibility of government data with and end goal to increase the amount of evidence-based policy. The open data initiative is needed as, according to World Resources Institute (WRI) Indonesia country chairman Nirarta “Koni” Samadhi, competing data is often seen among government institutions, even within one institution.

“This open data initiative aims to develop a more standardized data generation process by giving maximum authority to the data and information center in each government institution,” said Koni, who was in charge of the open data initiative in the now-defunct the Presidential Working Unit for the Supervision and Management of Development (UKP4).

The data and information center of a government institution will serve as a single door for data and will also decide the standard to generate data.