The production of electronic identification (e-ID) cards started

The production of electronic identification (e-ID) cards using retina scans started on Tuesday in the 14 districts across Yogyakarta municipality as part of a population main number (NIK) based system applied nationwide to avoid double-counting population data. Outgoing Yogyakarta Mayor Herry Zudianto and his wife Dyah Suminar officially started the program with the processing of their own respective e-ID cards at Umbulharjo district hall. It took some five minutes for Herry to have his eyes scanned as he had to repeat the process several times.

“I am sure the process and the data collection will run smoothly in the three months ahead as popular participation is relatively high,” Herry said. Yogyakarta is one of 197 regencies/municipalities across the country included as a pilot project in the national e-ID card program. The program was initially projected for implementation in August 2011, but was only able to start on Tuesday due to the late delivery of necessary equipment.

“At first I imagined it would be a nuisance to have my eyes scanned for the e-ID but I went along because it will be very useful,” Sugarman, a resident of Baciro, Yogyakarta, said. Prior to the application of e-ID cards using retina scans, ID cards used only finger prints. He said that with the ID cards applying nationwide, it would be easier to identify residents wherever they were in Indonesia.

“At least double ID cards will no longer be found in the country like now. Wherever we are, we are easy to identify. It’s much more practical,” Sugarman said. Head of the municipal population and civil registration agency’s data and information section, Dedy Feriza, said the agency had a target of completing between 200 and 300 applications in each of the 14 sites. The data collected includes the applicants’ photographs, signatures, finger prints and retina scans. The service is available every day from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.

“So far the process in general is running smoothly in all 14 areas. The operators are skillful enough that they can provide a quick service,” Dedy said observing the production of e-ID cards in Gondomanan district hall, on Tuesday. Dedy also said that his agency hoped to produce e-ID cards for the whole population of Yogyakarta municipality, some 330,000 residents, by the end of this year.

“The city administration has allocated Rp 563 million (US$63,056) for overtime and incentives for the production of the e-ID cards,” said Dedy, adding that the service would also be available on Saturdays and Sundays. He said invitations had been distributed to all residents through their respective subdistrict administrations. He called on people to come to the production sites according to the schedule on their respective invitations to avoid long queues. “The program is done in phases in every district from one subdistrict to another,” he said.

.thejakartapost.com