Indonesia to issue electronic IDs in September

From Plaza eGov

In September, the Indonesia government will begin issuing electronic identification cards, known as E-KTPs in 197 districts in Java and Bali. The government has budgeted Rp 5.9 trillion (US$690 million) for the E-KTP project.

These smart cards will have electronic chips containing citizens’ information such as birth date, land ownership, tax status, and hold biometric fingerprint data along with a new permanent identity number which the government said will lead to “greater administrative order”.

Raydonnyzar Moenek, Ministry of Home Affair’s spokesperson, said that E-KTP will be distributed in two phases.

“The first distribution will be done in 197 districts in early September through the end of December 2011. That will be followed by 300 districts in 2012.”

“In order to provide all citizens throughout the country with an E-KTP, we are going to send out officers equipped with laptops and electric generators that will then be used to verify the information of citizens,” Moenek said. “We will also record their fingerprints.”

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