Discussing Single Data Bill, DPR's Baleg Wants an Authoritative Body to Integrate Data

JAKARTA - The House of Representatives’ Legislation Body (Baleg) DPR RI has proposed the formation of an authoritative national data management body in the discussions on the Single Data Indonesia (SDI) Bill. Baleg Chairman Bob Hasan stated that such a body is necessary to support the Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) in compiling accurate development plans through integrated and valid data. “So, we must first understand that SDI, with its main tool, namely the National Basic Data, is how this data becomes valid through the integration of existing data,” Bob said during the SDI Bill drafting meeting at the parliamentary complex in Jakarta on Wednesday. According to him, if Bappenas only uses data from one perspective, the development planning could be inaccurate. Therefore, Single Data Indonesia functions as an orchestration of data from ministries/institutions that have conducted data collection in their respective sectors. This data collection includes gathering, managing, and storing data. However, control over the data remains with the relevant ministries/institutions, while that data serves as a reference for the authoritative body to be established. “Well, SDI is under Bappenas. What is produced through the integration of accurate, up-to-date, integrated data from various accountable institutions that can be accessed and shared,” he said. According to him, the issuance of data from ministries/institutions to the public needs to be carried out by an institution with authority based on the law. “So, there must be physical centralisation of that data, whether we like it or not. And this body does not have to form a new institution; it can be assigned to Bappenas, and I agree if it becomes Bappenas’s authority,” said Benny.