Muhammad Aulia, Jakarta – The government is set to launch INA Digital, a unified application aimed at simplifying public access to government services, State Apparatus and Bureaucratic Reform Minister Abdullah Azwar Anas announced Friday.
The move follows President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's directive to halt the proliferation of government apps, which have often made it harder for citizens to access services.
With over 27,000 apps currently in use by various ministries and local governments, many of them unconnected, the fragmentation has led to inefficiencies. Azwar Anas noted that the excess of applications burdens the public rather than facilitating services.
"The president has instructed no more spending on new apps as they complicate rather than ease public service access," he said.
INA Digital, set for a limited release on Sept. 30, will integrate essential services such as health, education, social aid, and digital identification into a single platform. The project, developed under GovTech Indonesia, is designed to enhance transparency, streamline bureaucratic processes, and provide more effective public services.
"By consolidating government apps, we aim to create a more transparent and efficient system that will ultimately benefit the people," said Azwar Anas.
President Jokowi previously urged his ministers to stop developing new apps, aiming to reduce bureaucratic red tape and curb further spending on platform rollouts.
"I have been telling [my ministers] to stop launching new apps starting this year. We already have 27,000 apps. This year alone, the government has allocated Rp 6.2 trillion [approximately $386.3 million] for new app development. One ministry can even have over 500 apps," Jokowi said in May.