Indonesia to Launch National GovTech by October 2026, Nurul Arifin Stresses Data Security and HR Readiness

JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto's plan to launch Government Technology (GovTech) nationwide in October 2026 has received support from the Member of Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives Golkar Party Faction, Nurul Arifin. According to him, the digital transformation of government is a strategic step to create a more efficient, transparent bureaucracy, as well as adaptive to the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The government previously stated that GovTech would integrate around 27,000 government applications that have been spread across various ministries and agencies into a digital ecosystem. The system will also be supported by AI to improve the quality of public services, accelerate decision-making, and strengthen the accuracy of the distribution of various government programs. Nurul assessed that the policy was a major leap in the reform of the Indonesian bureaucracy, which for years still faced the problem of overlapping data and public services that run on their own. "Digitalization of government is no longer an option, but a necessity. I fully support President Prabowo's steps to build a national GovTech because the public needs fast, simple, transparent, and integrated public services. Technology must be a tool to improve the quality of state services to the people," said Nurul. According to him, the application of AI in the government environment can help accelerate the administrative process, improve the accuracy of social assistance targets, improve development planning, and strengthen supervision of the use of state budgets. "AI is able to help the government analyze very large amounts of data that have been difficult to do manually. The impact is not only bureaucratic efficiency, but also the quality of policy making is better because it is supported by accurate data," he said. Human Resources Readiness However, Nurul reminded that the success of GovTech is not only determined by the sophistication of technology. The biggest challenge lies in the readiness of human resources, inter-agency data integration, and cyber security protection. "We must not only build a sophisticated system, but also ensure that people's data is really safe. Public trust is the main foundation of digital transformation. Therefore, strengthening cyber security and data governance must go hand in hand," said the Head of the Media and Public Opinion Gathering (MPO) of the Golkar Party. He also assessed that changing the culture of bureaucratic work into a homework that is no less important. The civil service must be equipped with digital competence so that it can adapt to new work systems that are more data-based. "Digital transformation is ultimately human transformation. Government apparatus must continue to improve digital literacy and the ability to use AI responsibly. No matter how advanced the technology is, it will not be optimal without human resources who are ready to use it," said this member of the Indonesian House of Representatives from West Java District 1. In addition to the readiness of the apparatus, Nurul assessed that the government needed to ensure that the public could adapt to digital services gradually. According to him, public education must be an important part of the implementation of GovTech so as not to create service gaps. "The government must ensure that the elderly, people in remote areas, and those who are not used to using digital services still have easy access to services. Don't let digital transformation create new gaps," said this member of the Indonesian House of Representatives from West Java District 1. Nurul said that various countries have proven that GovTech is able to improve the quality of public services if it is built consistently. Estonia, for example, is known as a pioneer of digital government with almost all public services available online. Singapore is developing a Smart Nation that integrates government services through digital identities. South Korea uses AI in public administration, while the United Arab Emirates has developed various AI-based government services to improve bureaucratic efficiency. "Indonesia certainly does not have to completely imitate other countries. We need to build a GovTech model that is in line with national needs, the character of the community, and Indonesia's geographical conditions. The most important thing is that this system really makes it easier for people and increases government accountability," said Nurul. He is optimistic that Indonesia has a large capital to realize digital governance because it is supported by increasingly developing technology talents. However, the success of implementation still requires cross-ministerial coordination, local government, and adaptive regulatory support. "I hope that GovTech will be the milestone for the birth of a modern, efficient, transparent, and capable Indonesian bureaucracy that can provide world-class public services. Digital transformation must be a long-term investment for improving national competitiveness while strengthening public confidence in the country," said Nurul. The government targets President Prabowo Subianto to launch GovTech nationwide in October 2026 after the pilot project in dozens of regencies and cities has been evaluated. The system will be the foundation for the integration of AI-based government services that are expected to improve bureaucratic efficiency while strengthening the quality of public services.