App’s a good idea: cutting cemetery corruption

Burying a relative is as traumatic as it is. But in Indonesia, the process can be compounded by corrupt officials demanding bribes.

In Jakarta, third-party brokers were illegally purchasing lots and hiking up the price. So the city turned to tech and built a simple solution.

An online system now lets people purchase lots without having to go through a middleman. The system is available on computers and at kiosks in local government offices.

Siti Hasmi, head of the Cemetery Public Parks for Jakarta, told Berita Jakarta that her department is pushing the online system to the public for a wider reach. She hopes that “through these efforts, citizens will be aware of the online processes to license and renew cemetery lots.”

However, there are still flaws on the online platform. It only accepts mode of payment from one bank, Bank DKI. This bank is not available across all councils in Jakarta, and not every resident is an account holder. But the government is looking to expand the service, ensuring burial is at least simple for grieving relatives.