Regional heads awarded for public policy achievements

(News Terupdate) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday awarded the Citra Bhakti Abdi Negara (CBAN) trophies to 42 regents and mayors for their “strong commitment to implementing public service policies”.

Among recipients of the trophies are provincial capitals Banda Aceh, Pekanbaru, Bengkulu, Bandarlampung, Mataram and Makassar.

Other regions include Musi Banyuasin in South Sumatra, Cilegon in Banten, Cimahi in West Java, Tegal in Central Java, Minahasa in South Sulawesi and Maluku Tenggara in Maluku.

“[The awards] are part of efforts to develop our culture,” President Yudhoyono told regional officials.

The CBAN charters were handed over by Administrative Reforms Minister Evert Ernest Mangindaan to 32 regents and mayors during the same award ceremony at the Presidential Palace.

The biennial CBAN awards have been conducted since 2006 and are aimed at encouraging regions to implement bureaucratic reform and continually improve the quality of their public service.

The President said in his speech during the ceremony that creating a good investment climate by implementing bureaucratic reforms and “conducive” regional policies was an important factor to boost economic growth in regions.

“I hope as leaders in your respective regions that you can enhance public service for our people when you return from Jakarta,” President Yudhoyono said. The criteria for the awards include the process of “deregulation” and “debureaucratization” of public service, the adoption of the “stick-and-carrot” policy and the “corporatization” of public service units.

Others are community development and prosperity-related policies, economy-booster policies, the application and the development of the e-government system and the implementation of business standard ISO 90001 for public service.

The remaining variables are the leadership quality of the regional heads, availability of facilities for public service and opinions of local public figures on the performance of their regents and mayors.

Acehnese Governor Irwandi Yusuf, South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin and South Sulawesi Governor SH Sarundajang were awarded the “Pioneering and Innovation” awards by President Yudhoyono.

Four regents and mayors also received the same awards.

East Kalimantan, Central Java, Jakarta, Batang Hari regency in Jambi, Sukabumi in West Java, the Riau capital of Pekanbaru, Dumai (also in Riau), and Pacitan in Central Java were also awarded for being best-performing regions.

Members of the jury are representatives of the government, NGOs, the media and academics.

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