Home Affairs Ministry Partners with Media, Experts, and Academics to Evaluate High-Performing Regional Governments for 2026
The Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) is partnering with media, experts, and academics to evaluate high-performing regional governments for 2026. High-performing regional governments will receive appreciation and incentives. Kemendagri has allocated a budget of Rp 320 billion for incentives to regional governments.
Head of the Domestic Policy Strategy Agency at Kemendagri, Yusharto Huntoyungo, stated that involving media, experts, and academics ensures the evaluation process is fair and proportionate. “We also consider regional characteristics, therefore the implementation of activities is divided into six regions: Sumatra, Java-Bali, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara-Maluku, and Papua,” said Yusharto in early April.
Six media outlets are involved in this evaluation: Tempo, Detik.com, Metro TV, Kompas TV, Garuda TV, and Tribunnews. For the Kalimantan region, Budi Setyarso, Director of Tempo, together with T. R. Fahsul Falah, Head of the Centre for Regional Policy Strategy, Population, and Public Services at BSKDN Kemendagri, and Moedjiman Mochamad, an Employment Expert, have been entrusted as the evaluation team.
Meanwhile, Rochayati Basra, Head of the Centre for Development Policy Strategy, Regional Finance, and Villages at BSKDN Kemendagri, along with Prof Anwar Sanusi, Head of the Employment Planning and Development Agency at the Ministry of Manpower, and Alfito Deannova Ginting, Editor-in-Chief of Detik.com, form the evaluation team for the Sumatra region. David Yama, Head of the Centre for Human Resource Development Policy Strategy, Government Digitalisation, and Domestic Government Innovation at BSKDN Kemendagri, together with Jaka Aminata, Chair of the Economics Study Programme at Diponegoro University, and Arief Suditomo, President Director of Metro TV, are entrusted as the evaluation team for the Java-Bali region.
Noudy R. P. Tendean, Secretary of BSKDN Kemendagri, along with Indra Aditya, an Employment Expert from Singaperbangsa Karawang University, and Yogi A. Nugraha, Editor-in-Chief of Kompas TV, will evaluate the Sulawesi region. Chaerul Dwi Sapta, Head of the Centre for Regional Autonomy Policy Strategy, General Government Politics, and Law at BSKDN Kemendagri, Erny B. Tumundo, an Employment Practitioner, and Elly Husin, Editor-in-Chief of Garuda TV, will evaluate the Nusa Tenggara and Maluku region.
BSKDN Head Yusharto, together with Prof. Madris, Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Business at Hasanuddin University, and Febby Mahendra Putra, Editor-in-Chief of Tribunnews, are entrusted to form the evaluation team for the Papua region. “It is hoped that through this approach, we not only compare inter-regional performance in general, but also provide more contextual evaluation space according to the challenges and potentials in each region,” said Yusharto.
The High-Performing Regional Governments Appreciation 2026 programme has been underway since February 2026 and is scheduled to conclude with the awarding in late May 2026. From February to March, discussions on evaluation instruments were conducted, followed by presentations by heads of nominated regional governments for awards and field validation involving experts/media as observers in April 2026.
In the same month, a plenary meeting discussed the results of field validation with Minister of Home Affairs Muhammad Tito Karnavian and the issuance of the Minister of Home Affairs’ Decree determining the award winners and recipients of government assistance (banper) for the 2026 Fiscal Year. The award presentations for Sumatra, Kalimantan, Nusa Tenggara and Maluku, Sulawesi, Papua, Java, and Bali will be held in April and May 2026.
Yusharto stated that this appreciation of regional government performance serves as an instrument to strengthen regional governance based on performance and outcomes in 2026. “This policy is not only intended as a form of recognition but also as a comprehensive evaluation mechanism to ensure that every policy and programme implemented by regional governments truly delivers real impacts for the community.”