House Calls for Balance Between Data Integration and Public Rights

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – As the government increasingly relies on data to formulate policies, effective national data governance has become crucial. The One Data Indonesia Bill (RUU SDI) is expected to improve data integration across government institutions while safeguarding the public's rights over their personal data.

Lawmaker Azis Subekti, a member of the House of Representatives' (DPR) Legislation Body working committee deliberating the One Data Indonesia Bill, stressed the importance of strengthening national data governance to ensure government policies are based on facts.

According to Azis, government policies must be formulated using accurate, up-to-date information that reflects actual conditions in society so that decision-making and public services can be delivered effectively and reach the intended beneficiaries.

Azis said in a statement in Jakarta on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, that the bill must address data discrepancies that could affect the accuracy of social assistance distribution, public services, and decision-making across various sectors.

"Erroneous data can lead the state to make decisions with full confidence based on a situation that does not actually align with the facts," Azis said.

He cited examples such as families experiencing economic hardship that have yet to be registered as aid recipients, discrepancies between land-use data and field conditions, and education workforce data that does not accurately reflect schools' actual needs.

Issues surrounding socioeconomic decile classifications raised by some citizens, he added, also highlight the need for mechanisms to update and correct data so that government policies remain aligned with conditions on the ground.

To address these challenges, Azis said the One Data Indonesia Bill should establish governance that connects information from ministries and agencies, regional administrations and villages through common standards.

"The government generates vast amounts of data. Ministries record information according to their respective mandates, regional administrations understand conditions in their areas, and villages are directly exposed to changes in residents' lives. All of this knowledge is valuable," he said.

Azis explained that differing definitions, inadequate data updates, and limited access between institutions can hinder the government's ability to obtain a comprehensive picture of issues affecting the public.

"When definitions differ, updates fail to occur, or one institution cannot utilize another institution's data, it is as if the state is viewing reality through multiple windows facing different directions," he said.

Azis stressed that data integration must be supported by interoperability, standardized practices, clearly identified data producers, regular updates, and mechanisms to verify information quality.

According to him, data integration does not require storing all government information in a single repository. Instead, it should ensure that various systems are interconnected and generate consistent information to support policymaking.

In the food sector, for example, the government requires data that covers not only production but also land area and conditions, farmer profiles, distribution, storage, and consumption needs.

Meanwhile, the distribution of subsidies and social assistance requires data that can track changes in residents' circumstances so that government programs continue to reach the intended beneficiaries. "One Data Indonesia needs to build a common language for the state," he said.

At the same time, Azis warned that data integration must go hand in hand with protecting the public's rights.

Citizens need mechanisms to access, question and correct government data that affects the services they receive or their rights. "Data sovereignty gains meaning when the state is able to use data for the national interest while safeguarding the rights of the individuals recorded in it," Azis said.

He added that the success of the One Data Indonesia initiative should be measured by improvements in the quality of government decisions, rather than simply the number of connected systems.

"A state that possesses vast amounts of data does not necessarily know its people well. The broader the knowledge the state gains from the data it analyzes, the more precise its decisions should be and the greater its responsibility to its citizens," Azis said.

Therefore, the One Data Indonesia Bill is not only about connecting government information systems, but also about establishing governance that ensures data quality, enables accurate data exchange, keeps information up to date, and respects the rights of the public. ***