Discussing SIAK and SIMKAH at Hotel Atlet Century, Jakarta
Two new information systems accelerate legal identity processes
On January 30th, PUSKAPA UI supported by AIPJ facilitated a workshop in Jakarta to learn about SIAK (Information System for Population Administration) and SIMKAH (System for Marriage Information Management). These systems support and accelerate the process of obtaining legal identity. The workshop was also attended by representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) and PEKKA (Female Headed Household Empowerment).
SIAK is an online information system developed by the Ministry of Home Affairs to gather and centralise population data. SIAK is not accessible for the public but functions as a tool for officers of Population and Civil Registration to send data rapidly and cost-effectively. SIMKAH is an information system for data on marriages in Indonesia developed by the Ministry of Religious Affairs. The goal of SIMKAH is to compile data on marriages online from KUA (Office of Religious Affairs) throughout Indonesia. The data from all KUA is centralised and can be accessed by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Religious Affairs support the Integrated Service for Marriage Legalisation, Issuance of Marriage Certificate, and Issuance of Birth Certificate as it simplifies processes for people to obtain legal identity documents.
The workshop gave room for discussions, important questions and technicalities, such as infrastructural difficulties with internet and application requirements for legal identity after marriage or birth. Children, for instance, will not automatically receive a birth certificate until their parents officially register their marriage. One of the goals of the integrated service is to eventually have people immediately register their marriage after their wedding. However, in some cases, these documents cannot be provided on the same day of application unless the Head of Department (Kepala Dinas) is present.
Political will and collaboration has much to do with the implementation and use of SIAK and SIMKAH. Achievements are found in Surabaya where SIAK and SIMKAH are fully integrated and in Solo, where the Department of Population and Civil Registration collaborates with the Department of Health. Every newborn is immediately registered through the administration process of hospitals or Puskesmas so birth certificates can be issued at place of birth by the Office Population and Civil Registration. “Those who are willing to implement SIAK will succeed in its use (this also accounts for hospitals and puskesmas)”, stated Wahyu Hidayat, the Sub-Directorate Head of SIAK Civil Registry of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Religion support the Integrated Service as it will simplify processes to obtain Legal identity products.
