INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS FOR WELFARE OF PAPUA PEOPLE by Fardah

Jakarta, Nov 16, 2016 (Antara) - Indonesia's President Joko Widodo, who has been stressing the importance of shifting from a Java-centric model of development, had assured that he will be visiting Papua frequently, a move aimed at underlining his approach of equitable development of various regions.

          "I will visit Papua frequently," the president had said when he had come visiting the Waringin Sports Stadium in Jayapura, Papua Province, on December 27, 2014.

         That was around two months after his presidential inauguration. Jokowi,  as the head of state is better known, has kept his promise. In the past two years, he has visited Papua five times.

        This is a decisive move towards a pan-Indonesia vision of development, Jokowi had explained during the  National Heroes Day celebrations in Surabaya, East Java, on November 10 last year.

        Jokowi has been paying special attention to the development programs in eastern Indonesia, particularly in the Papua Island that comprises Papua and West Papua Provinces.   
   The government has allocated enough funds, amounting to Rp85.7 trillion, for development programs in Papua.

        On Nov 8, the President chaired a limited cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Jakarta to review the ongoing development programs in Papua.

         "The meeting was to discuss Papua's development. It was not only about whether the existing funds are adequate or not, but also about the process as some mechanisms have not yet been integrated and that has been leading to ineffective development spending," the head of state noted.

         "There are huge amounts of funds involved. However, the budget is not comparable to the improvement in public welfare," he added.

         Development planning and its implementation in Papua should be carried out in an integrated fashion, he told his aides in the cabinet meeting.

         "I have asked each ministry or institution as well as local governments not to work separately. They must be focused and coordinate among themselves to work in an integrated manner to improve people's welfare," the president instructed.

         He claimed that 46 percent of ministries or institutions tend to choose regions where (the development planning) can be implemented more easily.

         Many districts in Papua are located in remote areas, but the fact that tackling the issues there was difficult should not become a justification for opting for easier ways out, he stressed.

         "Therefore, the matter should be fixed and improved," the president counseled.

         He called on all parties to focus on improving access to health and education in a bid to upgrade the quality of life of Papuans.

         The Human Development Index in Papua rose by 0.5 point although it still stands below 60.

         "I want to see basic infrastructure development being expedited. Also, there should be better connectivity at the earliest between regions, districts and cities. Expediting this is important for more equitable development and achieving justice for the people," Jokowi observed.

         Development in Papua should be in line with human rights values and good governance, while maintaining local traditions. Also, local communities should be involved in the development process.

         "Use a cultural approach that respects local wisdom, and treats Papuans as subjects who play an important role in the development of Papua," Jokowi emphasized.

         The one fuel price policy was part of the collective efforts to achieve justice for all Indonesians, he reminded.

         He expressed the hope that the policy would encourage economic growth, reduce transportation and logistics costs and lower commodities' prices.

         The cabinet meeting was attended, among others, by National Police Chief General Tito Karnavian, Chief of the National Defense Forces (TNI) General Gatot Numantyo, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan, and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution.

         In addition, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Wiranto, Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Minister/State Secretary Pratikno, Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, and Coordinating Minister for Culture and Human Development Affairs Puan Maharani were also present in the meeting.

         The last visit of President Jokowi to Papua was in October 2016 to inaugurate six electricity infrastructure projects worth Rp989 billion.

         These six projects were hydro-power plant (PLTA) Orya Genyem (20MW), mini hydro-power plants PLTMH) Prafi Manokwari (3MW), the Genyem-Waena-Jayapura 70 kV transmission line (174.6 km circuit), the Holtekam-Jayapura 70 kV transmission line (43.4 km), the Waena-Sentani 20 MVA substation and 20 MVA Jayapura substation.

         The PLN was currently building Rp7 trillion worth of electricity infrastructure in Papua and West Papua, President Director of state utility company PT PLN, Sofyan Basir, informed.

         "We are building new power generation plants with a total capacity of 253 MW in 13 locations in Papua and West Papua as well as a 246 km transmission circuit and eight substations worth Rp7 trillion," he disclosed.

         Besides, the central government has been making efforts to make Papua more accessible by constructing ports, a container terminal as well as an airport to develop the economy of the area.

         Jokowi had launched a sea toll system in 2015 to develop Indonesia's transportation system, including in eastern Indonesia.

         In West Papua Province, for instance, the government selected the Sorong City as the first center for sea toll in eastern Indonesia.

         The government also built a container terminal and developed ports in Sorong to end the disparity in prices in rural areas.

         "In the last two years, the government of Joko Widodo constructed transportation infrastructure in West Papua, particularly for air and sea transportation," the Head of Communication and Informatics Service of West Papua, Bambang Heriawan Soesanto, pointed out in Manokwari, West Papua, recently.

         Besides, Jokowi also built several airports in West Papua Province such as the Dominie Edward Osok Airport and the Rendani Manokwari Airport.

         In order to support the tourism sector in Raja Ampat, the government will extend Waisay Raja Ampat Port to accommodate direct flights from other provinces.

         He hoped that a direct flight can be operated from Makassar, Manado and Denpasar.

          The development programs in Papua, as planned by the Jokowi Administration, have been lauded by head of Arfak tribe, Dominggus Mandacan.

         He believed that the enhanced infrastructure facilities will positively affect the development of education, health and local economy in Papua and West Papua. ***4***
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(T.F001/A/BESSR/Suharto) 16-11-2016 20:03: