Indonesia’s hi-tech vision for Nusantara and economy draws scepticism, ‘Pandora’s box’ fears

The parking attendants were concerned about their jobs after the municipal transport department proposed to allow drivers to use the country’s digital payment system to pay for parking fees.

“Down with QRIS! We refuse to work with it!” shouted one parking attendant angrily in the video.

The attendant was referring to the Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS), a national app-based electronic payment platform recognised by most banks in Indonesia. Launched in 2020, the system can be used to pay for everything from public transport fees to restaurant bills and is endorsed by the government and the private sector.

But for many Indonesians who are used to dealing with cash, using new technology evokes fear of invasive bureaucratic oversight and job loss.

Budi Rahardjo, the founder of PT Riset Kecerdasan Buatan, an Indonesian AI research company, said Indonesians needed to get used to digitalisation as it would have a major impact on every aspect of daily life.

“People should adopt it as it has the potential to affect efficiency in the way we do things,” he said.

Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Minister Abdullah Azwar Anas said in a statement on January 23 that Nusantara will be home to an AI-anchored “digital government” by 2045.

“Our short-term goal is the relocation of civil servants to the new capital city and the gradual entrenchment of digitalisation in administrative affairs, to better prepare us for the eventual mode of smart governance,” he said.

Abdullah outlined five stages for the bureaucracy in Nusantara to become fully digital between now and 2045.

Budi said that while he welcomed the government’s bold vision, meticulous planning would be needed to establish such a futuristic capital city.

“Indonesia is not