Mendes: Appreciation Forum for Regional Heads Boosts Enthusiasm for Village Development

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Villages and Underdeveloped Regions (Mendes PDT) Yandri Susanto believes that the organisation of the appreciation event for outstanding regional heads, or the National Governance Awards 2026, can spur regions to become even more enthusiastic about village development.

“So with this award, insya Allah, the regional heads who receive the awards will be even more enthusiastic about building villages, and those who haven’t will be spurred on and motivated,” said Minister Yandri when attending the National Governance Awards 2026 event in Jakarta on Friday night.

In line with that, the former Deputy Chairman of the MPR RI also appreciated Metro TV as the organiser of the event. Previously, on various occasions, Minister Yandri had mentioned that village development does not only involve the central government, such as the Ministry of Villages and Underdeveloped Regions. According to him, the role of regional governments is also needed.

“Through the mechanism of giving rewards and there being punishment, this is very effective in encouraging all regional heads to demonstrate optimal performance,” he said.

It is known that the National Governance Awards serves as a forum for reflection on the journey of decentralisation in Indonesia. In addition, the event aims to ensure that leadership at the provincial, city, and regency levels runs transparently.

The assessment in this appreciation event is not only around aspects of economic growth. The jury panel also conducts comprehensive assessments involving evaluations in various crucial sectors, such as education, health ecosystems, and good governance.

The main assessment benchmarks in the event include improving the quality of human resources (HR) through various capacity-building efforts for residents as well as digital transformation in public administration services.