Government Officials on Standby

KOMPAS/I GUSTI AGUNG BAGUS ANGGA PUTRA

Visitors to the Teraskota Mall in Serpong, Tangerang, Banten, line up to print their electronic ID cards in March (4/3/2020).

Despite the decision to suspend the electronic identity card data recording service for two to three weeks to reduce the risk of transmission of Covid-19 caused by the novel coronavirus, officials at the Residential and Civil Registry Affairs Directorate General at the Home Affairs Ministry, remain on standby.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Although the electronic identity card (e-ID or KTP-el) data recording service has been put on hold for two to three weeks to minimize the risk of Covid-19 transmission, officials at the Residential and Civil Registry Affairs Directorate-General (Dukcapil) at the Home Affairs Ministry, have been placed on standby in Dukcapil office provide residential data recording services for urgent cases.

Dukcapil Director General Zudan Arif Fakrulloh said in Jakarta on Tuesday (17/32020) that urgent e-ID data recording services that would be provided included school or hospital admission, Indonesian Military/National Police enlistment and administrative handling with the Social Security Agency (BPJS).

“Dukcapil officers will stay in their offices by working shifts arranged by their respective office heads,” he added.

KOMPAS/IQBAL BASYARI

A user searches for ways to process electronic IDs using the Surabaya e-ID application.

Meanwhile, based on data from Dukcapil, as of Dec. 31, e-ID data recording has covered 98.79 percent of the 193,365,749 people obligated to possess e-IDs. As of May 2019, 2.7 million people had not recorded their e-ID data.

Zudan indicated that the instruction to suspend recording services was directed at Dukcapil offices in all regions. But for regions where positive Covid-19 cases are absent, the Home Affairs Ministry delegates authority to heads of Dukcapil offices to determine whether or not the service suspension is necessary.

“I’ve authorized office heads to decide. We asked offices [to suspend e-ID data recording] in all parts of Indonesia. [But] For very important matters, services will be provided,” said Zudan.

The policy, according to Zudan, was adopted to lessen the risk of physical contact amid the coronavirus pandemic. Based on spot checks conducted yesterday there were still people lining up for e-ID data recording in several regions including the Dukcapil office in Bekasi city, West Java.

“This is dangerous and coronavirus infection can happen. We have to make the public better understand. Under the prevailing circumstances at present, safety should come first,” said Zudan.

DOKUMEN KEMENDAGRI

The director general of population and civil registration at the Home Affairs Ministry, Zudan Arif Fakrulloh (left), meets with residents at the population administration service post for flood-affected residents in Pejagalan subdistrict, Penjaringan district, North Jakarta, in January (4/1/2020).

In connection with the current situation, Zudan has also instructed that apart from maintaining cleanliness while providing services, all Dukcapil office heads in regions should also offer online residential administrative services so as to avoid long queues of people in their offices.

The electronic identity card (e-ID) data recording service has been suspended for two to three weeks to decrease the risk of COVID-19 transmission. However, in cases of urgent needs, the service is still provided.

The public can also submit requests by putting documents into boxes already made available.

“Cell phone numbers and names of applicants are also written. They can just leave the documents and return home. When the papers have been processed, they will be contacted. I leave it to office heads to arrange according to local conditions. The principle is to prevent residents from gathering or crowding,” said Zudan.

DINAS KEPENDUDUKAN DAN PENCATATAN SIPIL KOTA SURABAYA

A tally of the printing and distributing of e-ID cards in Surabaya as of February (26/2/2020).

Still normal

Regarding the queues noticed by Zudan, head of the Dukcapil office of Bekasi city, West Java, Taufiq Rahmat Hidayat, said the e-ID recording and printing service covered 12 districts and three public service malls (MPP) or public service outlets (GPP). But he admitted that people still lined up because the e-ID recording and printing process took time.

Residents were seen queuing up to have their residential data recorded amid the coronavirus pandemic at the Dukcapil office of Bekasi city on Tuesday. So far, the Bekasi Dukcapil office has remained open to provide e-ID related services because the notification to suspend the e-ID recording service was just received yesterday via a Whatsapp message. Today, the office is formulating the mechanism for providing residential services during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The service mechanism is being prepared in line with a circular issued by the Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Ministry that requires normal execution of public services even though the state’s civil personnel are working at home.

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO

The director general of population and civil registration at the Home Affairs Ministry, Zudan Arif Fakrulloh (center), speaks at a press conference to impart information related to electronic-based identification cards for foreigners at the Home Affairs Ministry office in Central Jakarta in February (27/2/2019).

Emergency nature

A public policy observer from the University of Indonesia, Agus Pambagio, said that amid the pandemic, several emergency policies could not be avoided, despite being intended for public services.

Agus understood the difficult situation faced by Dukcapil offices because not all their services could be offered online. Therefore, Agus suggested that the public should not have their e-IDs processed until the situation returns to normal.

The public is expected to understand the present situation. To this end, people are called upon to handle all their residential data processing needs indirectly, by the online system.

Agus said the public still lacked awareness about the need to avoid travel and the dangers of coronavirus because the government’s communication was inadequate.

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO (WAK)

Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly arrives at the Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) Red and White Building in Jakarta in June last year (25/6/2019). Yasonna was questioned over his alleged involvement with a former member of the House of Representatives Commission II 2009-2014, Markus Nari, in the case involving the procurement of electronic ID cards.