Jakarta, October 31, 2026 – The Europe Today: Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung Wibowo has announced that all 10 finalists of the 2026 Benyamin Sueb Award will be sent overseas to study urban management and broaden their perspectives on community governance.
The initiative is intended to give urban village heads the opportunity to expand their knowledge and observe how other countries manage their local communities.
“I have decided to give all 10 finalists an opportunity to see the world,” Pramono said at the award ceremony held at the Grand Ballroom of the Pullman Hotel in Central Jakarta on Friday.
Potential destinations for the study visits include Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan and China.
The governor stressed that the programme is important to ensure that urban village heads do not confine their outlook to the areas under their current supervision, encouraging them instead to compare local governance with practices adopted elsewhere.
“The point is to broaden their horizons rather than keep them confined to their own backyards. One problem is assuming we know best when our perspective remains limited to our own experience,” he said.
Pramono also urged the urban village heads to prepare for the visits, including by learning English to help them communicate effectively during their time abroad. He emphasised that the opportunity would not be limited to the three winning urban villages but would be extended to all 10 finalists of this year’s award.
He did not, however, provide details on the study programme or the length of the participants’ stay overseas.
On the question of funding, the governor assured that the trips would be financed transparently. “Whatever budget is allocated, it will be fully transparent. The matter falls under the authority of the Cooperation Bureau,” he said.
The Benyamin Sueb Award is a competition organised by the Jakarta Provincial Government to encourage urban villages to improve conditions and public services in their respective areas. This year’s edition attracted 52 participating urban villages, nearly double the 27 that took part last year.
Participation nevertheless remains well below the total of 267 urban villages across Jakarta. Pramono said he aims to see every urban village in the capital take part in the Benyamin Sueb Award next year.
