The Government Science Laboratory held a Practitioner Lecture for the Public Service Management Course on January 4, 2013, in the First Floor Hall of AR. Fachruddin Mosque at UMM. The lecture featured Ir. Moch. Arif Hidayat, Head of Licensing Services Division, PU, BP2T, Malang City Government. The event aimed to provide students with an understanding of public service practices, particularly licensing services in Malang City.
Drs. Krishno Hadi, MA., opened the lecture by stating, "This practitioner lecture is crucial for students to understand how public services are conducted in Malang City." A graduate of UGM's Master's program, he emphasized, "Licensing services are vital in governance because citizens cannot legally carry out activities without government authorization. Most community activities, especially in the economic and development sectors, are closely related to licensing," explained the Public Service Management expert.
Ir. Moch. Arif Hidayat shared insights into licensing services in Malang City, stating, "Following the implementation of regional autonomy policies, local governments have gained extensive authority to manage various aspects of regional development. This expansion of authority has directly increased the scope of licensing services in line with the responsibilities delegated by the central government to the regions." He further explained, "The significant authority held by local governments must be supported by adequate licensing service facilities and infrastructure. Extensive authority without proper management capabilities will become a major issue for the region. Therefore, good licensing services will facilitate the effective execution of the authority granted by the central government."
Good licensing services play a crucial role in accelerating regional development. Business actors and the public require efficient services from the government. Arif emphasized, "For this reason, licensing services in Malang City continue to strive for simplicity, speed, and fairness. One of our initiatives is implementing integrated licensing services, where all public or business-related licensing needs can be processed through a single door or one-stop service," he explained. However, challenges remain in Malang City's licensing services. "We acknowledge that there are still issues referred to as licensing service pathologies, where certain individuals irresponsibly collect licensing fees for personal gain," he added, highlighting existing problems.
The Practitioner Lecture, moderated by Salahudin, S.IP., was attended by 50 fifth-semester Government Science students. The students were highly enthusiastic and expressed their appreciation for the lecture. Latiful Arif, a student from Malang, shared his thoughts: "This practitioner lecture provides valuable insights into public service practices in Malang City, enriching our academic knowledge by bridging governance theory and practice," he said after the event.
