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This Mayor Turns His Hometown into Indonesia's Least Bureaucratic One

This Mayor Turns His Hometown into Indonesia's Least Bureaucratic One
Bandung Co on Vidio © Youtube

Smart city initiatives have helped Bandung, Indonesia's third-largest city, become a role model for government performance as its architect-turned-mayor focuses on slashing red tape.

"We have the best performance in bureaucracy in Indonesia today," Ridwan Kamil, mayor of Bandung, told CNBC on Thursday.

Investing in technology to transform how citizens are served has quashed corruption and improved the overall efficiency of state programs, he said on the sidelines of the Milken Institute's annual Asia Summit.

One of Bandung's public space | dirgantaracarrental.com
One of Bandung's public space | dirgantaracarrental.com

 

Since being elected in 2013, Kamil has built 400 software applications aimed at speeding up public service. One of those is called GAMPIL, which allows small and medium enterprises under $5,000 to register their businesses online instead of applying for permits at government offices.

Ridwan Kamil | Suratkabar.id
Ridwan Kamil | Suratkabar.id

 

"We are the only Indonesian city where SMEs don't require a permit, which helps demolish corruption," Kamil said, adding that 60,000 new SMEs were born within three months of enforcing the policy.

The use of e-budgeting has also ended ineffective and costly programs, saving the city almost $200 million last year, he continued.

Bandung, Indonesia mayor says voters want a 'hands on' leader from CNBC.

Southeast Asia's largest economy is home to a youthful population and booming internet penetration rates, so the digitization of public services should come as no surprise. Millennials' usage of technology will transform Indonesia over the next five years, according to Kamil. 

A former architect with zero political background, he decided to enter politics and won 45 percent of the vote in 2013. Now, the former businessman is setting his sights on the governorship of West Java province, of which Bandung is capital.

 Indonesians want leaders who are hands-on with problems, he explained.

"I've asked the 70 departments of my city to have social media accounts [and] the trust level to my administration is now at 90 percent," he said.

Bandung | mediaindonesia.com
Bandung | mediaindonesia.com

 

Kamil's private-sector experience has also helped tackle a national issue: crumbling infrastructure.

The mayor is a proponent of public-private partnership models, in which global investors are invited to build projects in Bandung over long-term contracts.

"The way we spend money in Indonesian cities for infrastructure is very conventional, it's too slow," Kamil explained.

Because the government budget simply isn't enough, public-private partnerships can fulfill Bandung's infrastructure needs within a decade, while traditional spending mechanisms would take 30 years, he said.

Sumber: CNBC.com

Akhyari Hananto

I began my career in the banking industry in 1997, and stayed approx 6 years in it. This industry boost his knowledge about the economic condition in Indonesia, both macro and micro, and how to More understand it. My banking career continued in Yogyakarta when I joined in a program funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB),as the coordinator for a program aimed to help improve the quality of learning and teaching process in private universities in Yogyakarta. When the earthquake stroke Yogyakarta, I chose to join an international NGO working in the area of ?disaster response and management, which allows me to help rebuild the city, as well as other disaster-stricken area in Indonesia. I went on to become the coordinator for emergency response in the Asia Pacific region. Then I was assigned for 1 year in Cambodia, as a country coordinator mostly to deliver developmental programs (water and sanitation, education, livelihood). In 2009, he continued his career as a protocol and HR officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Surabaya, and two years later I joined the Political and Economic Section until now, where i have to deal with extensive range of people and government officials, as well as private and government institution troughout eastern Indonesia. I am the founder and Editor-in-Chief in Good News From Indonesia (GNFI), a growing and influential social media movement, and was selected as one of The Most Influential Netizen 2011 by The Marketeers magazine. I also wrote a book on "Fundamentals of Disaster Management in 2007"?, "Good News From Indonesia : Beragam Prestasi Anak Bangsa di dunia"? which was luanched in August 2013, and "Indonesia Bersyukur"? which is launched in Sept 2013. In 2014, 3 books were released in which i was one of the writer; "Indonesia Pelangi Dunia"?, "Indonesia The Untold Stories"? and "Growing! Meretas Jalan Kejayaan" I give lectures to students in lectures nationwide, sharing on full range of issues, from economy, to diplomacy Less
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