Directorate General of Bina Adwil of the Ministry of Home Affairs: Smart City is Not Measured by Sophisticated Technology

Director of Urban and Border Areas of the Directorate General of Bina Adwil, Ministry of Home Affairs, Drs. Amran, reading the keynote speech and presentation/Photo: IST

JAKARTA - The Directorate General of Regional Administrative Development of the Ministry of Home Affairs has strengthened national coordination ahead of the implementation of The 9th ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN) Annual Meeting in Cebu, Philippines, in July 2026.

In a coordination meeting to prepare Indonesia's participation in the forum, the Directorate General of Bina Adwil emphasized that the development of smart cities in Indonesia must be adjusted to the characteristics, needs, and potential of each region.

This was conveyed by the Director General of Regional Administrative Development, Safrizal ZA, who was represented by the Director of Urban Areas and State Borders of the Directorate General of Regional Administrative Development of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Drs. Amran, when reading the keynote speech and presentation at the coordination meeting to prepare for attending The 9th ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN) Annual Meeting 2026.

According to Amran, the development of smart cities does not have to imitate other regions and countries, because each region has different challenges, social conditions, and characteristics.

"Smart city is not about standardizing technology, but how the innovations built are able to answer the needs of the community according to the context of each region," he said.

The ASCN Indonesia Directorate General of Bina Adwil has noted that a number of ASCN Indonesia member cities have presented inclusive digital public service innovations. Jakarta is developing integrated digital public services, Banyuwangi through the Smart Village program, Makassar with technology-based public services, and Sumedang through the strengthening of village digitization.

In addition, Semarang has successfully developed a resilient city strategy based on risk mitigation, while Denpasar has strengthened digital tourism and creative economy supported by the concept of green mobility and preservation of local culture.

The Directorate General of Bina Adwil emphasized that the success of smart cities is not measured by the sophistication of technology alone, but rather by the extent to which innovation is able to improve the quality of life of the community, expand access to public services, and create effective and sustainable urban governance.

Through participation in the ASCN 2026 forum, Indonesia is optimistic that it can present a model for the development of an inclusive, adaptive, and relevant smart city, as well as an inspiration for other cities in the ASEAN region.