Jakarta. In recognition of impactful initiatives by regional governments in the realms of social and economic development, B-Universe Media Holdings is set to host the Appreciation Gala on Tuesday evening.

This event, taking place in Jakarta, is a collaborative effort between the leading media group, the Home Affairs Ministry's Directorate General of Regional Autonomy, and the All-Indonesia Association of Regional Governments (Apkasi).

Apreyvita Wulansari, Deputy CEO of B-Universe, revealed that the assessment and selection of nominees for the awards have been underway since June.

"We categorized 548 regencies, municipalities, and provinces based on their local revenues and geographical situations," Apreyvita explained.

The jury utilized extensive news research, reports from B-Universe correspondents, and third-party information to identify potential nominees.

"From this initial phase, we selected 115 regional governments as nominees for the Appreciation Awards,” she said.

The 115 regional governments were then invited to submit documents detailing their economic and/or social initiatives in their respective regions for further evaluation, resulting in 35 finalists.

The final selection phase occurred from August 14-23, with a jury composed of academics, professionals, and senior members of the bureaucracy assessing the impact of the initiatives.

Ultimately, the jury has chosen 21 regional governments to receive awards in various categories, including accelerated economic development, sustainable social development, integrated digital transformation, and basic public services.

"We encourage those who did not make it to the finals this time to continue their commitment to their development initiatives," Apreyvita said.