Kemendagri shifts 2026 local government contest to regional format

The Ministry of Home Affairs has changed the 2026 Apresiasi Pemerintah Daerah Berprestasi scheme from a national contest to a regional one. At the Jawa-Bali regional event at the Yogyakarta Marriott Hotel on Thursday (4/6), Home Affairs Minister Muhammad Tito Karnavian said the format is intended to let areas with different fiscal capacities compete on a more equal footing. The awards are divided into six regions: Sumatera, Kalimantan, Maluku-Nusa Tenggara, Jawa-Bali, Sulawesi and Papua. The four categories assessed are reducing unemployment, creative financing, inflation control, and efforts to reduce poverty and stunting. First-place winners receive Rp3 miliar, second place Rp2 miliar and third place Rp1 miliar. Tito is also preparing the next wave with other themes, such as clean cities or public services, with the series scheduled to continue through November.