PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - Muhammadiyah University of Bandung held a Joint Lecture with Bureaucrats with the theme "Information Transparency to Realize Transparent Public Services".

This activity is part of the integration of the Governance and Public Administration courses.

Students are tasked with designing, implementing, and evaluating events with the aim of improving literacy and competence in the field of public administration.

Head of the Public Administration Study Program at the University of Muhammadiyah Bandung, Meti Mediyastuti, said that this activity aims to equip students with practical skills and in-depth insights into the openness of information which is the foundation of democracy and transparency of public services.

Sub-Coordinator for Strengthening KIP of Bandung City Communication and Information Office, Yusuf Cahyadi, who is also a resource person, said that the Bandung City Government (Pemkot) has effectively implemented the mandate of the Law on Openness of Public Information since 2015.

"The city government routinely publishes information at all times, immediately, and periodically through various platforms, such as the bandung.go.id website and the SIMONIK application," he said, Friday (12/20/2024).

Until now, the Bandung City Government has formed 77 Assistant PPIDs covering Regional Apparatus Organizations (OPD), BLUDs, and BUMDs, as well as 347 Sub-Assistant PPIDs for Education Work Units spread across elementary and middle schools.

"Information transparency is not only about providing data, but ensuring accessibility of information for the public by considering legal corridors, such as Article 17 of the KIP Law regarding the List of Excluded Information," he said.

Yusuf also highlighted the importance of digital literacy for bureaucrats. In the midst of digital transformation, bureaucrats are required to master technology that supports openness of information, but this must be balanced with adequate training.

In addition, another major challenge is the inequality of technological infrastructure which is not evenly distributed throughout Indonesia, so it is still an obstacle to optimizing information openness.

Public Hearing for Community Participation
This activity also highlights the importance of public participation in the policy-making process. Public hearing is considered as one of the effective ways to absorb public aspirations.

The interactive discussion in this event also explored the experiences and challenges of bureaucracy in implementing information transparency.

"Transparency is the right of the people and the responsibility of the bureaucracy. Optimal information transparency will support the creation of quality public services," he said.