Kulonprogo Named Best in Regency-Level Unemployment Reduction

The 2026 Regional Government Achievement Awards for the Java-Bali region have brought positive recognition to the Kulonprogo Regency Government. During the event, Kulonprogo secured the first-place award in the category of Unemployment Rate Reduction at the regency level.

The highest award was presented directly by the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs, Djamari Chaniago, at the Marriott Hotel, Sleman, DIY, on Thursday (4/6) evening. The Regent of Kulonprogo, R. Agung Setyawan, personally received the accolade.

In addition to the trophy, the Kulonprogo Regency Government is entitled to receive appreciation in the form of a Regional Incentive Fund (DID) amounting to Rp3 billion. He explained that this fiscal incentive will be managed for regional development, specifically to improve basic facilities in the health sector and infrastructure for all residents of Kulonprogo.

Agung Setyawan stated that this achievement is the result of effective real-world work within the tourism, MSME, culinary, and arts and culture sectors. Consequently, new job opportunities have become accessible to the community, thereby lowering the unemployment rate.

“Based on information from the Ministry of Home Affairs team, the assessment was conducted through sample data collection in the Ngglinggo Tourism Area, Girimulyo, and the Wates Town Square,” he explained.

The tourism, culture, and MSME sectors serve as levers for economic movement and labour absorption in Kulonprogo Regency. According to Agung, this award is the result of commitment and collective effort, which successfully reduced unemployment in the region. The assessment was deemed objective as it was based on BPS (Statistics Indonesia) studies and direct field verification.

For the Regency-Level Unemployment Rate Reduction category, alongside Kulonprogo achieving First Place, Pacitan was ranked Second, and Jombang was ranked Third.