COVID-19, Ombudsman Launches Online Portal for Public Complaints

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ombudsman has launched an online portal to facilitate complaints on public services in the sectors affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, besides overseeing the government's performance in providing public service.

“The Ombudsman remains present even during the pandemic, and we certainly support what is directed by the government, while still (facilitating) public complaints. Therefore, on this occasion, we are opening an online complaint portal for the public,” said Chief of Ombudsman, Amzulian Rifa, in a press conference broadcasted on the institution’s Facebook account, on Wednesday, April 29.

Amzulian argues that it is important to watch the government's performance as paramount during the pandemic, taking into account the substantial amount of state budget reallocation to handle the crisis caused by the virus outbreak.

To facilitating public complaints, the online portal is equipped with specific data that has been integrated with other affected sectors which includes social assistance, health services, finance, security, and transportation.

"The types of (public) services that can be complained are, firstly, the distribution of social assistance, secondly, if health services are not available for Patients Under Supervision (PDP) or non-PDP patients, thirdly if complaints on credit restructuring are not responded, then, the closure of public roads, as well as the handling of Large Scale Social Restriction (PSBB) violations," explained the Ombudsman chief.

FIKRI ARIGI | Translator: DIO SUHENDA (Intern)