Tony Blair Institute Backs Indonesian Civil Service Digital and AI Skills
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — Indonesia’s Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform (PANRB) Rini Widyantini met with the Tony Blair Institute (TBI) at the PANRB Ministry office recently on 9 March 2026.
The meeting discussed government digital transformation and development data governance. Two critical focuses emerged: government digital transformation and development data governance, underpinned by Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), which serves as the backbone for various government services.
DPI comprises digital identity, data exchange, and digital payments, maintained in alignment with principles of personal data protection and cybersecurity. Minister Rini Widyantini emphasised these points during the meeting.
“I am grateful to the TBI team for supporting the PANRB Ministry in implementing digital government. I believe cooperation with TBI can produce policies that deliver better public services going forward,” she stated, according to the PANRB Ministry’s official website.
Rini noted that the Indonesian government understands the importance of DPI in supporting system integration and interoperability to deliver quality, inclusive, and efficient services.
The integration of DPI with various priority public services into a single portal is governed through Presidential Regulation No. 82/2023 on Accelerating Digital Transformation and Integration of National Digital Services, she explained.
Rini further stated that the utilisation of DPI and priority use cases are key to accelerating and establishing the digital foundation for the President’s priority programmes, with DPI serving as the backbone of interoperability and integration.
“The PANRB Ministry, as coordinator of the National Strategic Project for integrated government digital service development, emphasises the importance of data interoperability to accelerate the achievement of the National Medium-Term Development Plan targets whilst strengthening the foundation of digital government with direct impact for citizens,” she said.
According to her, DPI is the foundation enabling effective integration. Digital identity, data exchange, and digital payments are not merely technical instruments but bridges ensuring public services arrive faster, more equitably, and more reliably.
“The utilisation of DPI is key, ensuring data exchange and public services run smoothly, securely, and measurably. Cybersecurity and personal data protection must be applied from the outset, purposefully, and proportionally so that integration can be realised and public trust is maintained,” she stated.
Rini explained that DPI utilisation, particularly Data Exchange, must be enhanced both for analytics and improving public service quality, whilst cybersecurity and personal data protection need to be applied measurably across all government institutions. Administrative aspects such as memoranda of understanding and cooperation agreements should be minimised through more automatic and straightforward mechanisms, so that integration and interoperability become obligations rather than challenges.
Country Director of TBI Abetnago Tarigan said the meeting aimed to deepen understanding regarding DPI development and utilisation to support Indonesia’s Government’s priorities.
He stressed that TBI supports Indonesia’s government digital transformation and sees significant opportunities to strengthen strategic cooperation, particularly in integrated government digital service development.
“We are committed to supporting the implementation of digital technology and Artificial Intelligence in Indonesia’s government. We have already supported ASN training based on AI, coordinated by the State Administration Institute,” he said.
Tarigan further noted that civil servants, who are both policymakers and public servants, play a key role in the digital transformation process. Therefore, every civil servant must possess adequate digital capabilities and develop a digital mindset to support successful digital transformation.