Center for Digital Society (CfDS) at Faculty of Social and Political Sciences UGM released a list of 12 smart cities in Indonesia that successfully utilize Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the implementation of governance. Of the 12 cities surveyed as the smart city, Surabaya ranks first, followed by Bandung, Makassar, Semarang, Yogyakarta, and Surakarta. Furthermore, Palembang, Denpasar, Samarinda, Medan, Ambon, and Jayapura. This research was conducted for more than a year using 57 indicators of assessment criteria, including assessing the impact of innovation and the various ICT applications made by the government to serve the citizens in the areas of education, health, social, transport and the needs of the poor.
CfDS Executive Director, Dr. Nanang Pamuji Mugasejati, said that the success of each of the city government in the use of ICT in the system of governance could not be separated from the creativity of the head of their respective regions, "those who care much of the applications of ICT in serving the citizens," Nanang told reporters on Friday (27/5).
The rank for Surabaya and Bandung in the first and second places, said Nanang, confirms the ability of mayors Risma and Ridwan Kamil, who have successfully led their respective regions. According to the man, the success of a regional leader in utilizing digital technology makes participation of citizens greater in solving problems together. "Democracy digital e-government provides an opportunity to encourage the transformation of Indonesia to be more open. We hope that the new leaders who grow from the digital society are more involved and not corrupt," he explained.
Nanang acknowledged the real phenomenon of the digital society in the community but has not been used optimally by the government. In fact, not many people realize the essential of adaptation to be able to really take advantage of this phenomenon, especially in the settlement of social problems. "The problem is always about infrastructure, the government's readiness and the readiness of the community. We see many government websites are not optimal because there is no interaction from the public," he explained.
CfDS’ researcher, Viyasa Rahya Putra, said that the selection of 12 smart cities is not based on the cyber activity of one regional leader but the government’s programme that is run through ICT. "We assess the concrete programs through ICT," he explained.
He added that the selection of the 12 cities is because these are considered as the center of economic growth, the center of creative economy and social interaction. "We believe these secondary cities as centers of economic growth, creative economy and new economy, and the growth of social interaction in the community," he said.