The openness of information provides a great opportunity in encouraging improvements in extractive industry governance. This was conveyed in a Workshop related to co-creation and collaboration in promoting extractive industry transparency through innovations supported by the SEATTI-HIVOS program.
So far, the regions only know information about the benefits of extractive industries at what level of revenue-sharing. By joining Indonesia as a member of the EITI (Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative) global initiative, Indonesia is required to open and publish data on corporate payments and government revenues from the extractive industries of the oil, gas, and mineral and coal mining sectors. EITI has been confirmed through Presidential Regulation No. 26 of 2010, which is currently being led by the Coordinator of the Indonesian Ministry of Economic Affairs. From 2013 to 2013, the first EITI report has been published twice, covering 3 fiscal years. The report has progressed from year to year in an increasingly disaggregated level of data detail, which includes information on production per project (contract) and information on revenue sharing per company and region. The next step is to encourage the optimization of the role of CSOs in the preparation of the EITI report, strengthen advocacy for follow-up on the findings of the EITI, and synergize with other initiatives such as the Open Government Partnership.
Related to the provision of public information, the government through the Presidential Work Unit for Development Control Oversight (UKP-PPP) has launched two initiatives namely the Indonesian data portal (data.id) and LAPOR! (Report on the Aspirations of Complaints By the People). Mardianto Jatna, Assistant Expert Staff of UKP-PPP, stated that to function optimally these two tools must be balanced with people who are proactively using these two tools. “We must jointly build this information disclosure into an ecosystem, where civil society, society, and government work together to continue to perfect.” The Indonesian data portal has also entered data from the EITI report in the open data format. UKP-PPP expects CSOs to submit proposals and submit data requests so they can be publicly displayed through data.id
Observers of public information disclosure, Alamsyah Saragih added that in the context of information that is open to the public, it should be noted that the quantity of information opened does not cause distraction and escape public focus. “What is effective is if you use a targeted approach so that data published can be maximally utilized and sharply advocated resulting in significant changes”.
Working with data does not have to use complicated and expensive information technology systems. The main thing is how to make data into information that produces knowledge and wisdom for the community. “Data that is managed carefully and effectively advocated can become data-driven decisions” Yuandra Ismiraldi, Fellow of the School of Data. PWYP Indonesia and the School of Data through this program will hold a series of training to optimize the open data platform in encouraging transparency in the extractive industry.