\n<\/p>\n
The success of bureaucratic reform is ultimately measured by citizens\u2019 everyday encounters with the state. How long must someone wait? How often must the same documents be submitted? How much does it cost to access a public service? For businesses, the questions are equally practical: How predictable is licensing? How clear are the requirements? How reliably do government services support investment decisions? The second anniversary of President Prabowo Subianto\u2019s administration offers an opportunity to assess progress against these measures.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform\u2019s reported achievements provide an indication of the direction of change. According to the ministry\u2019s two-year performance account, 83 new Public Service Malls have opened under the current administration, bringing their presence to 313 local governments, alongside 211 digital Public Service Malls. Under Minister Rini Widyantini\u2019s leadership, efforts to bring services closer to citizens have become increasingly tangible. Bringing services together in one location can reduce travel, queues, and the costs people incur when dealing with government.<\/p>\n
The next measure of success, however, is whether the processes behind those service counters become genuinely integrated. Services housed in one building must evolve into connected services with consistent requirements, lawful reuse of existing data, and decisions that are not delayed by coordination between agencies. Citizens approach government with real-life needs, without necessarily knowing how responsibilities are divided among institutions. Connecting those responsibilities is the state\u2019s task.<\/p>\n
One clear example of this transformation is the digitalisation of social protection. The ministry reports that a registration process that previously involved nine steps, took up to 200 days, and cost approximately Rp150,000 can now be completed within one minute to six hours. Implementation reportedly expanded from 43 districts and cities in August to 258 in October 2026, with nine million households registered.<\/p>\n
These figures illustrate the potential of simpler service delivery. Their scope nevertheless matters: faster registration delivers its full value only when followed by accurate verification, sound eligibility decisions, and timely assistance.<\/p>\n
Digital transformation must therefore extend beyond the initial registration process. Citizens should be able to track their applications, correct inaccurate information, and appeal decisions when their entitlements remain unmet. Service quality depends on the entire journey. A system that is fast at the point of entry but difficult to navigate when problems arise still places a burden on citizens, particularly vulnerable households with limited resources to pursue their claims.<\/p>\n
The principles of\u00a0Digital by Design<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Digital by Justice<\/em>\u00a0are relevant because they connect efficiency with fairness. Services should be designed digitally from the outset while preserving access for people who lack devices, connectivity, or digital skills. An omnichannel approach\u2014combining portals, assisted services, outreach, and physical counters\u2014must deliver comparable standards across every channel. An elderly resident in a remote village should enjoy the same certainty as someone accessing services online in a major city.<\/p>\n From a business perspective, these improvements have direct economic significance. Time spent navigating paperwork is a cost. Unclear procedures increase investment uncertainty. Repeated documentation requirements consume resources that small businesses could otherwise devote to improving production and reaching new markets. Bureaucratic reform is therefore part of national productivity policy. Simpler, more predictable public services strengthen confidence to start businesses, invest, and create jobs.<\/p>\n The government\u2019s thematic approach to bureaucratic reform, focused on poverty, investment, downstream industrial development, food security, health, and education, deserves further strengthening. The ministry reports that the approach has been implemented across 418 government institutions. It also reports an average poverty rate of 6.01% in participating regions in 2025, compared with a national rate of 8.25%.<\/p>\n This comparison provides useful material for evaluation, but it does not establish that bureaucratic reform alone caused the difference. Assessment must examine changes over time, regional starting conditions, and the contribution of other policies. Such scrutiny helps identify practices that genuinely work and supports their expansion on the strength of evidence.<\/p>\n The next phase requires strong leadership to connect administrative processes across ministries and local governments. The Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform has a strategic role in coordinating integrated services and improving governance. That role must translate into clear responsibilities, the resolution of institutional bottlenecks, and shared measures of success. A citizen\u2019s need should have a complete path to resolution, even when several agencies are involved. Data exchange must likewise rest on a sound legal basis, interoperability standards, access controls, security, and auditable accountability.<\/p>\n The quality of public servants will determine whether these arrangements work in everyday life. The size of the civil service must translate into service capacity that matches public needs. Digital competence, integrity, problem-solving ability, and empathy should become meaningful elements of professional development and performance assessment.<\/p>\n The reported increase in follow-up on complaints through the LAPOR! platform to 95% should also be accompanied by measures of substantive resolution: whether the citizen\u2019s problem was actually solved, how long resolution took, and whether the same complaint recurs. A high follow-up rate is useful, but it should not be treated as proof that every complaint has been resolved satisfactorily.<\/p>\n KADIN and the business community can contribute by providing measurable feedback on service barriers, testing the experience of service users, and helping smaller enterprises access government services. Technology partnerships should prioritise interoperability, security, total lifecycle costs, and the government\u2019s ability to sustain service delivery. Their value should be judged by the public problems they help resolve.<\/p>\n Two years in office provide a foundation for accelerating this transformation. Institutional achievements and digitalisation must continue to translate into outcomes citizens can feel: time returned to their families, money saved, assistance delivered accurately, and businesses able to grow with greater certainty.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When these experiences become part of everyday life, bureaucratic reform fulfils its most important purpose: building a state that is present, effective, and fair in serving its people.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n