Gorontalo Law Ministry Strengthens Citizenship Services for Legal Certainty
The Gorontalo Regional Office of the Ministry of Law held a Citizenship Socialisation with the theme “Strengthening Citizenship Services to Realise Legal Status Certainty and Protection of Community Rights” in Gorontalo on Monday (10/8/2026).
The activity was directed at strengthening understanding of the importance of citizenship status while encouraging services that provide legal certainty and protection of community rights.
The activity report was delivered by Kiki Rizki Wardhana, Head of the General Legal Administration Services Division of the Gorontalo Regional Office of the Ministry of Law.
The activity was attended by 50 participants from the Population and Civil Registration Office, the Ministry of Religious Affairs Office, the Manpower and Transmigration Office, the National Unity and Politics Agency, the Religious Court, the Regional Office of the Directorate General of Immigration, the Gorontalo Immigration Office, the Legal Bureau of the Gorontalo Provincial Secretariat, the Regional Intelligence Agency, community leaders, and the Gorontalo Chinese Community Association.
Head of the Gorontalo Regional Office of the Ministry of Law, Raymond JH Takasenseran, stated that citizenship is not merely an administrative matter concerning a person’s identity.
Certainty regarding citizenship status, he said, is very important because unclear status can give rise to various legal and administrative problems, including in obtaining population documents, education, employment, public services, overseas travel, and the fulfilment of other rights.
“We must not stop at fulfilling administrative procedures. More than that, we must ensure that the public understands their rights and obligations, knows the correct procedures, obtains clear information, and receives certainty over the service process they apply for,” said Raymond.
According to the Head of the Legal Services Division of the Gorontalo Regional Office of the Ministry of Law, Arif Rahman, strengthening citizenship services needs to be supported by cross-agency coordination so that the public obtains clear information and certainty in the service process.
Inter-agency synergy is also important to support the resolution of citizenship issues in accordance with the authority and provisions of laws and regulations.
“Citizenship services must provide legal certainty and protection of community rights. Therefore, cross-agency coordination is important so that the public receives clear information and services in accordance with their respective authorities,” explained Arif.
From a regulatory perspective, the Head of the Regional Office’s remarks linked the implementation of citizenship services to Law Number 12 of 2006 concerning Citizenship of the Republic of Indonesia.
Within the organisational framework, Presidential Regulation Number 155 of 2024 concerning the Ministry of Law and Minister of Law Regulation Number 1 of 2024 concerning the Organisation and Work Procedures of the Ministry of Law were cited as the basis for carrying out the duties and functions of the Ministry of Law, including citizenship services, facilitation, coordination, guidance, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting in accordance with the authority and provisions of laws and regulations.
This activity also has relevance to the Asta Cita agenda, particularly the agenda of strengthening political, legal, and bureaucratic reform as well as strengthening effective, transparent, and accountable governance that provides the best service to the public.
The presence of immigration elements and academics further enriched the perspectives in the activity. The resource persons listed in the agenda were Supriyadi A Arief from Gorontalo State University and Dandi Permana, Head of the Immigration Intelligence and Enforcement Section of the Gorontalo Class I TPI Immigration Office. Materials were delivered in a panel format after the opening session.
The Head of the Regional Office emphasised that the immigration perspective is important for providing understanding regarding the status and mobility of citizens, while the academic and legal perspectives are expected to make the understanding of citizenship more comprehensive from legal, social, and academic standpoints.
Ultimately, the success of citizenship services can be seen from the public’s ability to obtain certainty regarding their legal status and to feel that their rights are protected.
Through strengthening citizenship services, the Gorontalo Regional Office of the Ministry of Law is expected to continue making a real contribution in bringing the state into the midst of society, providing legal certainty, and realising increasingly high-quality public services.