TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The House of Representatives (DPR) has passed an amendment to Law No. 23/2006 on the administration of population during a plenary session at the Senayan Parliament Complex on Tuesday. One of the law’s main points discusses how the public’s new electronic identity card (E-KTP) will be valid for life. Meanwhile, identity cards for foreigners will be valid as long as they are officially permitted residency in the nation.
Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi explained that citizen identity cards will be valid for life as an effort to cut down on government spending as a single ID card costs Rp16,000 to make. Each year, he calculated, the state can save up to Rp4 trillion if the government no longer needs to renew citizen ID cards.
ID cards will only be renewed if the holder’s status changes, such as adding an academic title to their name, if the holder changes their address, or if they get married. This alteration will be free of charge as it is considered to be an administrative necessity, such as the issuing of birth/death certificates.
WAYAN AGUS PURNOMO
