Bali Takes First Place in Two Categories at 2026 Regional Java-Bali Local Government Achievement Awards
The province of Bali has successfully secured first place in two categories at the 2/026 Regional Java-Bali Local Government Achievement Awards, held at the Yogyakarta Marriott Hotel, Special Region of Yogyakarta, on Thursday, 4 June 2026. The ‘Island of the Gods’ won top honours in the categories of Poverty Alleviation and Stunting Reduction, as well as Inflation Control, in the event organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri).
The Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, stated that although Bali has already achieved its lowest poverty rate, he remains committed to implementing programmes to further reduce poverty. He also intends to strive for even more effective inflation control. “We have scheduled a meeting on 8 June with all mayors and regents across Bali to reduce poverty through an integrated approach across all regencies and cities,” he said following the award ceremony.
Regarding inflation, Koster noted that the province’s efforts are supported by weekly coordination meetings. “We have received guidance from the Minister of Home Affairs on how to minimise and further improve inflation control,” he added. Wayan Koster emphasised that the current achievements are the result of close cooperation and coordination between the various regencies and cities within Bali.
The Minister of Home Affairs, Muhammad Tito Karnavian, explained that while Bali was previously grouped in the same region as West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), it has been moved to the Java region this year. “After reviewing all the figures, we see that Bali’s growth is rapid and development is progressing faster there. In fact, when competing against NTB and NTT, Bali consistently wins,” said Minister Tito. Consequently, the Ministry moved Bali to compete against a more balanced group, namely the Java region.
“To be honest, I am personally supervising the assessment team. I have stated that we must maintain the credibility of the Ministry of Home Affairs; otherwise, we will lose our prestige if these results are manipulated,” stated Tito. He noted that one of the valid indicators being closely monitored every week is national inflation control, which is currently maintained at 3.08 per cent.
The Minister expressed high appreciation for all high-achieving regional heads. He expressed hope that this recognition would not lead to complacency but rather serve as a catalyst to continuously improve public service performance. For regions that did not win awards this year, Tito requested that they use this momentum as a basis for evaluation and motivation to work harder in the next period.
In the 2026 Regional Java-Bali Local Government Achievement Awards, Bali won first place in the Poverty Alleviation and Stunting Reduction category, with West Java taking second place. In the Inflation Control category, Bali achieved the highest score, followed by the Special Region of Yogyakarta in second place and Central Java in third.