Supporting IKN, Bontang Strengthens Employment Strategy to Earn Appreciation
The Bontang City Government (Pemkot) continues to strengthen employment strategies as part of its role as a partner region for the Nusantara Capital (IKN). These efforts have yielded results with the receipt of an award from the Ministry of Home Affairs at the 2026 Outstanding Regional Government Appreciation event for the Kalimantan region, held in Balikpapan on Tuesday, 5 May 2026.
Bontang Mayor Neni Moerniaeni emphasised that, as a supporting region for IKN, Bontang City is pursuing the vision of “Realising Bontang as an Advanced, Prosperous, and Sustainable Industrial and Services City as an IKN Partner Region.” This vision serves as the foundation for formulating strategic policies, including addressing employment challenges and regional economic development.
This commitment was also conveyed by Neni when she served as a speaker in the discussion “National Development Orchestration Forum” themed “Strategic Regional Synergy in Addressing Challenges and Strengthening National Competitiveness,” which was part of the appreciation event agenda.
In the forum, Neni outlined various comprehensive steps taken by Pemkot Bontang to reduce unemployment rates. These include enhancing training, skills, apprenticeships, and worker certification by opening 63 training programmes that have reached 1,857 job seekers.
Additionally, Pemkot Bontang is expanding job opportunities through the establishment of a communication forum between training institutions and local industries, improving the quality of public services, forming a Disability Services Unit (ULD), and promoting the realisation of 2025 investments that grew by up to 13.66 percent.
Neni also stressed the importance of protection for vulnerable workers through the provision of employment social security for domestic assistants, artisans, and other informal workers. “Currently, it has reached 36,777 people. This can improve the welfare and sense of security for workers,” she said.
On the regulatory side, Pemkot Bontang is strengthening supervision of Regional Regulation Number 10 of 2018 on recruitment and placement of workers, as well as Regional Regulation Number 11 of 2018 on the protection of outsourcing workers.
To ensure sustainability, Pemkot Bontang is pursuing six main strategies: strengthening human resource competencies, expanding job opportunities, developing entrepreneurship, strengthening multi-stakeholder collaboration, utilising technology and innovation, and continuous monitoring and evaluation to ensure programmes run effectively and on target.
These various efforts have led Pemkot Bontang to secure first place in the 2026 Outstanding Regional Government Appreciation for the Kalimantan region, organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs in Balikpapan.
She stated that the award serves as motivation for her as mayor and the relevant agencies to continue implementing unemployment reduction programmes. “Of course, this becomes motivation and enthusiasm for us all, for me as mayor, the community, and the relevant agencies on how to implement these unemployment reduction programmes,” she said.
She emphasised that the award is the result of collective hard work through various implemented programmes. “Of course, this is the result of our collective hard work through various programmes. Through Naker Friends, we also optimise the Workforce Regional Regulation which mandates that 75 percent of workers are local residents,” she said.