KI: Election must Be Momentum for Ease of Access to Information for People

Entering the election year, the Central Information Commission (KI) again reminds the government, ministries, and/or public agencies at the national and regional levels to increase ease of access and quality of information services for the people.

Elections shouldn't interfere with the quality of public bodies in serving the people

KIP Vice Chairman, Arya Sandhiyudha asked public agencies to continuously improve the ease of access and the quality of public information services for residents.

"Elections shouldn't interfere with the quality of public bodies in serving the people, especially public information services," he expressed in his written statement, Wednesday (5/17).

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He explained KIP would again hold Monitoring and Evaluation (Monev) of Public Agencies simultaneously throughout Indonesia to maintain the quality of public information services for the community.

"We'll hold simultaneous monitoring and evaluation to ensure that the government and/or public agencies at the national to regional levels maintain a focus on performance on quality of data presentation, quality of information services on various types of public information being managed, including information on the procurement of goods and services," he explained.

Accompanied by Information Commission Commissioners from 28 provinces, he continued that classic community problems must be responded to appropriately by the Government/Public Agencies. Communities often as information seekers still encounter difficulties in obtaining information from public bodies. For instance, document procurement of goods and services. In fact, the Information Commission obtained the qualification of 'informative' in the Information Commission's Monev.

"Public bodies often argue that documents for the procurement of goods and services are exempt information, despite when monev states the information is open," he furthered, who previously also served as Commissioner of Jakarta KIP.

Another case of a request for information that should have been open information but due to misunderstanding and handling has become the object of an information dispute.

"It often happens that in the process of resolving information disputes, there are inconsistencies between information service officers or PPIDs. Requests for information that should be completed at the PPID level are instead handled by the KIP," he continued.

Hence, the Central and Provincial Information Commissions would pay attention to the above aspects in the implementation of the 2023 National Information Openness Monev.

"Later in the assessment method, the three aspects namely quality, service understanding, and diversity of information with the procurement of goods and services in it will have the highest value weight," he added.

Commissioner for Central KI Institutional Affairs, Handoko AS said that in general the 2023 National Information Disclosure Monitoring and Evaluation activities will evaluate aspects of information quality, type of information, information services, facilities and infrastructure, organizational commitment, and digitization.

As many as 400 central-level public bodies would become the object of Monev including ministries, provincial governments, BUMN, non-structural state institutions, and State Universities.

"Meanwhile, Monev at the provincial level adjusts to the priority agenda of each Provincial Information Commission," he added.

He added the 2023 Information Disclosure National Monitoring and Evaluation activities would decide the 15 best public bodies from all categories to later be included in the 2024 Tinarbuka award.

"So, in the 2023 Monev, the Central Information Commission will only announce the categories of each Public Agency, and awards will be given in 2024 to the 15 best Public Agencies," he finished.