VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Three cities in Indonesia, Jakarta, Makassar in South Sulawesi and Banyuwangi in East Java, are proposed to be included in the ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN). Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi in Singapore, during a press conference on the 32nd ASEAN Summit, Sunday,  said the concept of ASCN was designed to achieve a shared goal of smart city development in ASEAN network cooperation program.

"Each country delivers three cities and Indonesia proposes Jakarta, Makassar and Banyuwangi," she said.

The foreign affairs minister said that in the plenary of the ASEAN Summit, President Jokowi delivered several things, among others, ASEAN is a centered and people-oriented organization so that people should be the focus in the development of the ASEAN community.

"And innovation to strengthen the ASEAN community in the midst of a very complex urban problem needs to be encouraged, so the ASCN is one of the answers to the challenge," the foreign minister quoted the president as saying.

According to her, it is important for the interest of inclusiveness and innovation. Indonesia itself is developing a 100 smart cities movement in an effort to encourage more effective, transparent and reliable governance. The core of the cooperation in the field of smart city is to encourage the use of technology to advance the city designed in such a way that it is in accordance with the needs and potential of the region.  That is for optimal results for the community and for realizing more effective, transparent and reliable governance. ( antara )