Government plans ID number for every citizen

Government plans ID number for every citizen

JAKARTA (JP): The government plans to assign an identification
(ID) number to every citizen for administration purposes
beginning this year, Minister of Population Haryono Suyono said
yesterday.

President Soeharto, who has already approved the plan, will be
honored with the first ID number when the project is launched on
Aug. 17 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Indonesia's
independence, Haryono said.

After meeting with the head of state at Merdeka Palace, the
minister said Soeharto will give ID numbers to the parents of
babies born on Aug. 17, 1995, as a symbolic gesture in launching
the project.

The ID number will be given to all new-born babies. Birth
certificates will be issued with the numbers as will all
subsequent ID cards, driver's licenses and other administrative
documents, he said.

The ID numbers will be disseminated to the rest of the
population in phases, Haryono said. "You can't expect this to be
completed in one day. Malaysia needed three years and Thailand is
taking 10 years. Indonesia hopes to complete, at least the data
base, within two years."

He said the project will significantly expedite administrative
tasks and "provide a better guarantee for the people to carry out
their obligations and exercise their civic rights".

He added that a presidential decree regarding the issuance of
the ID number is expected before August 17.

Haryono, who chairs the National Family Planning Board, also
reported to the President on the government's plan to begin mass
production of contraceptive implants. The government is hoping
that more and more people will switch to this method to prevent
pregnancy.

He said the plan is now underway to expand the existing
production plants, in cooperation with companies from Finland and
the Netherlands. The output will be made available to Indonesian
couples and also exported.

The contraceptive implant, which is good for up to five years,
will sell for Rp 75,000, though users will be able to pay for the
implant on a yearly basis of Rp 15,000 installments. This, he
added, should make the implant an attractive alternative. (emb)