State-of-the-art smart mapping technology can help local governments across the country increase their revenues and create next-generation services, according to local news agency Detik.com.
In a recent article, the media outlet investigated the importance of using smart mapping technology to support areas such as development planning, advertising tax, land and building tax, and management of natural resources among others.
Interviewing Esri Indonesia’s Gilang Widyawisaksana at a recent event entitled “Increasing operational efficiency and effectiveness through GIS” held at the Hilton Hotel in Bandung City, Mr Widyawisaksana said Geographic Information System (GIS) technology could help Indonesia’s local government authorities significantly boost operational efficiencies.
“While we have certainly seen progressive uptake of smart mapping tools in both central government and private institutions, a lot of effort still needs to be done in order to promote its potential to other key areas of governance such as tax and finance,” Mr Widyawisaksana said.
He shared how using smart mapping tools can significantly improve the quality of decisions made in an organisation, thereby reducing the effects of problems posed by bureaucracy and lack of transparency and accountability.
To further highlight its significant return on investment experienced by many local governments, he revealed there have been several case studies from cities around the world where they have used GIS technology to increase revenue collection by up to 300 per cent.
“The value of information and the quality of decisions made are directly related to the capacity of the system that produces information. Tax Office for example, uses authoritative information from the National Land Agency to make well-informed decisions and policies which would contribute to effective and efficient tax collection,” Mr Widyawisaksana said.
“The data is made accessible to them through a smart mapping platform that enables users from across the entire organisation to quickly access needed information anytime, anywhere. By factoring geography into the equation provides decision-makers with new insights into old problems and helps create strategic financial plans.”