E-government in Europe and Indonesia

E-government, based on The World Bank definition is the use of information technology by government offices for better services to people, business and to facilitate cooperation among government institutions. The use of E-government is expected to empower the community through public access to information resources available.

Based on the above definition, there are at least three important parts in the application of e-government. Firstly, e-government provides services and facilitates communication between government and communities. Secondly, e-government provides services and facilitates communication between government and business sector. Thirdly, e-government facilitates communication in intergovernmental and among government institutions.

the objectives to be obtained by implementing eGovernemnt is to create online customer and not in-line. EGovernment means to provide service without any intervenes from the employee of public institutions and long queue system only to get a simple service. Besides, eGovernment also aims to support good governance. The technology usage makes society easy to access information can reduce corruption by increasing transparency and accountability of public institutions. Egovernment can widen public participation in which society is likely to be actively in making decision/policy by government. In fact, the concept of eGovernment is to create a benevolence, comfortable, transparent, and cheap interaction between government and citizens (G2C-government to citizens), government and business enterprises (G2B-government to business enterprises) and relationship between governments (G2G-inter-agency relationship).

Egovenment with provide service through Internet can be divided into some levels; namely providing information, one way interaction, two ways interaction and transaction which means fully electronic service. The process of on-line collecting form is an example of two ways interaction. While fully electronic service signifies decision making and delivery (payment) process. Derived from available facts the most part of realization of eGovernment in Indonesia is merely at the level of web-publicized by the government or is solely at the level of giving information. Data of March 2002 indicate 369 government offices have opened their web-sites. However, 24 percent of the websites could not maintain the sustainability of operation time due to insufficient budget. At the present, there are only 85 websites that function with full options (Jakarta Post, 15 January 2003). In spite of this, it needs to be highlighted that eGovernment is not solely as web publicized by government. Providing service up to the level of full-electronic delivery service needs to be afforded.

Public institutions’ websites in Indonesia except could be accessed directly, could also be accessed through the entry point of Indonesia public institution www.indonesia.go.id which represents Indonesia national portal. From this website, a part from searching out information, the visitors could also access some public and media institution websites promptly.

Some models of eGovernment implementation that dominate all over the world at this moment are the service of citizens’ registration such as birth registration, marriage registration and address changing, tax calculation ( income tax, company tax, and custom duties), business registration, vehicle permits, and so on.

As a comparative study, we can observe the implementation of eGovernment in the European Union countries. The European Union is one of community that has applied eGovernment successfully. Only Canada, Singapore, and United States of America which have surpassed the European Union in the area of eGovernment. European Union itself has possessed a modern official website in which each citizen can access the latest information and policy as well as legal foundation of the government policy. At certain times, citizens even can interact in a straight line with the decision makers via chatting facilities (www.europa.eu.int). By having a very big capacity portal, citizen can apply for job and on-he-job-apprentice at the institution. There still many other facilities which are provided by its websites. In order to motivate public service in executing eGovernment, eEurope awards (www.e-europeawards.org) are operated in the framework of facilitating sharing experience and mutual learning among the members of European Union.

Besides, the successful of eGovernment in Europe signifies public policy contribution which in line with the characteristics of eGovernment itself. Soft policy comprises of Open Method Coordination in the European eGovernment which started with wide and clear vision and followed by dissemination, benchmarking process, periodical monitoring, evaluation and review in twosome and is organized as mutual learning process has been attested successful in the framework of implementing eGoovernment in Europe.

In examining the details above and considering the existing condition, the practice of eGovernment in Indonesia is facing some challenges in particular encountered by government organizational. One of them is inadequate human resources. The application of eGovernment in the public officials needs to be supported by the employees who understand technology well. Which is also needed are the officials who motivate to learn and be able to manage change. Information technology changes fast so that the willpower to learn has to be owned by every public institutional employee. Moreover, eGovernment needs changes in organization and is supported by the latest skills. European Union as one of people which has been succeeded in implementing eGovernment defines eGovernment not merely as the usage of information technology rather the usage of information technology which is integrated with organization change and new skill within the scope of improving public service and the process of democracy along with supporting public policy. Governmental organization in Indonesia needs to be reorganized in order to apply eGovernment effectively. Corruption Collusion and Nepotism (KKN) which becomes generally adopted has some bearing on readiness in facilitating public access through information. If Corruption Collusion and Nepotism (KKN) do combat in advance there will be a shady character that will use the chances by impeding to obtain information. Corruption practice needs to be vanished in the scope of increasing service so that the ease obtained by eGovernment can be offered without emerging higher economic cost that should be paid by citizens. There is a need to create a system to put the citizens as the highest priority and the culture to serve. In another word, eGovernment is not just about technology but change of culture.