Indonesia is continuing efforts to transform Depok (population 1,751,696) into a Cyber City as the Depok City Government sets up a call centre service number as an additional channel to provide public services.

Head of Data and Information Office of Communications and Informatics (DISKOMINFO) at Depok City, Hj. Reni Siti Nuraeni, said, “The Depok Cyber City flagship project will provide information and services that are responsive to community demands. One of the efforts under this project is the setting up of the call centre.”

“Besides communicating with the local government directly or via mail, the citizens can also liaise with agencies through the internet and social media. However, there is less direct interaction through online channels, and the call centre provides a more direct communication path.”

The call centre service is currently at an early stage, as the Diskominfo continues capturing more information on the citizens’ needs and service demands. At this stage, the call centre is not yet operating as a one-stop solution as it is able to resolve general queries and complaints.

More detailed cases are accepted and then passed to the relevant regional organisation (OPD). Each regional organisation must communicate the resolution to the call centre within three days after receiving the case. “The next step from here would be to develop a roadmap to directly link citizens with the regional organisations”, said Reni.

The local government expects the call centre to serve as the nodal point for receiving all concerns, expectations and feedback regarding city government services. The DISKOMINFO is now conducting campaigns through social media, publications and dialogues to raise awareness on the call centre.