Jakarta. Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian underscored the importance of healthy competition among regional leaders, saying it is essential for improving the quality of local governance. His remarks were delivered at the ESG Appreciation Night held by B-Universe at Hotel Mulia in Jakarta on Thursday.

Tito said that Indonesia’s system of directly electing governors, mayors, and regents naturally pushes local leaders to focus on public approval and performance, making competitiveness a built-in feature of regional politics.

“There are two magic words for every regional leader: popularity and electability,” he said. “If popularity drops, they get anxious; if electability declines, they worry too. But when both rise, they smile.”

To maintain performance standards, Tito said the central government provides both incentives and sanctions. A balanced system of rewards and punishments, he argued, is crucial to preserving a productive competitive climate in the regions.

“Rewards are given by the government, but that doesn’t exclude non-government institutions from offering recognition as well, so that this competitive spirit continues. Let them compete in a healthy way,” he said.

Tito praised B-Universe for recognizing high-performing regional leaders, noting that awards from independent institutions carry strong credibility. “B-Universe is not new to this. It has experience, and I believe the results announced will be objective,” he said.

He added that media-driven awards amplify public visibility. “Those who win don’t need to spend money on social media. Their achievements will appear instantly. Before the event ends, it will already be all over TikTok,” Tito said.

The minister urged regional heads to keep innovating, stressing that public perception, not just central government evaluation, determines their political momentum. “Believe me, popularity and electability will rise. And for those who haven’t reached that level, I hope this event motivates them to excel,” he said.

In a major announcement, Tito revealed a new policy from the Home Affairs Ministry allocating a dedicated Rp 1 trillion budget for regional awards beginning next year. The funds will be distributed to local governments excelling in categories such as clean city management, public service delivery, stunting reduction, inflation control, and economic growth.

“We are allocating around Rp 1 trillion purely for rewards to outstanding regions. This is the first time. We are dedicating this portion of the Home Affairs Ministry’s budget to reward high-performing local governments,” Tito said.