Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Home Affairs Ministry and the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) have different data on the country`s population number, a minister said.

"Based on the home affairs ministry`s data, Indonesia`s population is 259,940,857, but according to the BPS, up to December 31, 2010, it reached only 237,440,363," Home affairs Minster Gamawan Fauzi told a hearing with the House`s Commission II on state administrative affairs here on Monday.

He said the differences in population data had occurred in 33 provinces in Indonesia.

The minister said the ministry`s data were still provisional and still needed updating after the completion of the electronic identity (e-ID) card program in 2012.

He said of the 259,940,857 population number, some 7,078,538 were found by the ministry to have dual ID card numbers.

The minister said the local governments had been asked to check residents who had dual ID card numbers.
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Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
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