Jakarta (ANTARA) – Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian stressed the need for competition among regional leaders to improve local government performance, saying outcomes at the regional level directly shape national achievements.He said Indonesia’s decentralized governance gives regions broad authority, making their performance critical to national progress.“A single underperforming region can affect national results,” he said in a statement in Jakarta on Sunday.He made the remarks at the 2026 National Governance Awards, aimed at fostering a competitive climate among regional leaders.The Home Affairs Ministry continues to strengthen regional leadership performance through various initiatives, including award programs.“We use both formal and informal approaches, but fostering competition among leaders is one of the most effective strategies,” he said, addingthat a “reward and punishment” mechanism has proven effective in motivating leaders from diverse backgrounds to perform better.The awards also serve as a platform to highlight high-performing regional leaders.Karnavian welcomed the 2026 National Governance Awards organized by a private television station.He said involvement from external parties, especially mainstream media, adds value to evaluation and public outreach.He expressed hope that regions yet to win would be motivated to improve and compete for future awards.