On December 17, 2024, the Indonesian government celebrated its commitment to transparency and public information access at the powerful Malam Anugerah Keterbukaan Informasi Publik (Public Information Disclosure Award Night), showcasing impressive results from various governmental bodies and institutions across Indonesia.
The event, organized by the Komisi Informasi Pusat (Central Information Commission), recognized the efforts of the Pemerintah Provinsi (Provincial Government) Kalimantan Selatan, which achieved the “INFORMATIF” category with a remarkable score of 95.74. Head of the Provincial Communication and Information Office, Muhamad Muslim, expressed gratitude over the triumph, stating, “This is our effort to continuously push for information openness in South Kalimantan.” Notably, this marks the region's significant improvement from 83.71 points the previous year, which was classified as “Towards Informative.”
At the heart of these accolades are the palpable efforts made by local governments throughout Indonesia to adopt transparency measures, ensuring citizens have accessible channels to information. The awards ceremony showcased not just one, but multiple achievements from various regions. The Government of Aceh, for example, proudly secured the second position nationally for informativeness among provincial governments, scoring 98.31 points. Pj Gubernur Aceh's representative, Marwan Nusuf, emphasized the importance of collaboration, stating, “This achievement reflects our serious commitment to transparent, accountable governance.”
Meanwhile, the Kementerian Agama (Ministry of Religious Affairs) was celebrated for its transparency, securing the status of “INFORMATIF” with 94.52 points. Minister Nasaruddin Umar remarked, “Alhamdulillah, this achievement is appreciated by our entire team and reflects our endeavor to improve public openness within the ministry.” The ministry has been proactive about ensuring public access to information, which is viewed as instrumental for its operational improvement.
Another highlight of the night saw the Dinas Sosial dan Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Desa Provinsi Kepulauan Bangka Belitung achieving first place in the top 10 public service accountability categories with a score of 97.52, with Chief of the agency, Budi Utama, expressing gratitude for his team’s hard work. He said, “If you want to walk fast, walk alone. But if you want to go far, walk together.” His words echoed the collaborative spirit seen among many institutions striving for transparency.
The night proved to be significant for various institutions, including academic entities, as the Universitas Riau emerged victorious after receiving the prestigious “Anugerah Badan Publik Informatif” award for state universities, scoring impressive 97.39 points. Rektor Unri, Prof Dr Sri Indarti, expressed her gratitude and acknowledged the importance of being transparent to the public, emphasizing the collective effort of her institution.
With 22 provinces achieving the “INFORMATIF” category, the awards recognize major improvements from the previous year, and the event underscored the government's dedication to enhancing public knowledge and engagement. Notably, the accolades reflected collaborative efforts of local and national entities for continuous improvement.
Throughout the decades, the push for transparency has seen various initiatives, supported by technological advances, compliant regulations, and thorough evaluation processes to assess the public information access standards across all institutions. The awards serve as powerful indicators showing the nation's resilience and adaptation toward establishing more transparent governmental practices.
The Kementerian Agama, Universitas Riau, and other awardees are designated as role models for future compliance with public information standards. The evening was more than just about accolades; it was about setting new benchmarks and expectations for 2025 and beyond.
Komisi Informasi's monitoring and evaluation included diverse entities ranging from provincial governments, state universities, and other national agencies, evaluating 363 institutions and designations, with 162 receiving informatics designations compared to 139 found lacking. This scoring system reflects multiple aspects involving public announcement regulations, document provision, website development, and more.
These achievements and recognitions at the Malam Anugerah Keterbukaan Informasi Publik truly affirm Indonesia's growing commitment to transparency, which is pivotal for the public's right to know and for fostering accountability among public entities. With proven dedication and significant public engagement, the hope is for ratings to continue to rise, pushing for more states, ministries, and local governments to adopt and maintain high standards of information accessibility and accountability.
