Indonesia's e-KTP Chip Technology Underutilized Due to Lack of Scanners, Minister Says

Indonesia's journey towards a fully digitized identity system faces a significant hurdle: the inconsistent adoption of necessary technology across government agencies. Deputy Home Affairs Minister Bima Arya Sugiarto highlighted this challenge, explaining that the advanced chip technology embedded in our electronic ID cards (e-KTP) cannot be fully leveraged because many institutions lack the required scanning devices. This results in the paradoxical situation where citizens carry advanced e-KTPs but are still asked for traditional photocopies, undermining the efficiency and security promised by digitalization. From our perspective at Tempo, this isn't just a technical glitch; it's a reflection of bureaucratic inertia and a need for stronger policy enforcement. While the intention behind the e-KTP and its digital identity features, like the Identitas Kependudukan Digital (IKD), is commendable, its effectiveness hinges on a unified and equipped bureaucratic apparatus. The Minister's call for policy interventions, even 'coercive' ones, to compel agencies to adopt the technology is crucial. Until then, the physical e-KTP will remain a necessary companion, and the significant budget allocated to reprinting lost cards could be better utilized for services that directly benefit the public. This situation is uniquely Indonesian, where ambitious digital initiatives often clash with the realities of uneven infrastructure and implementation across a vast archipelago.

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Not all agencies have sophisticated electronic devices to scan. Not all authorities also have regulations that govern it. So even though there is a chip, it cannot be scanned and eventually, they are asked for a photocopy.