PRESIDENT JOKOWI DELIVERS PROMISED MAMA-MAMA MARKET TO PAPUANS by Fardah

Jakarta, May 11, 2017 (Antara) - Papua has received special attention from President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). Soon after he was sworn in as Indonesian president in October 2014, he visited the country's eastern-most province in December.

           During his first visit, he promised the Papuans that he would frequently visit the province, and he also promised to build the traditional Mama-Mama market into a modern market.

          The president has fulfilled his promises. Since his presidential inauguration, he has visited Papua six times, including in May and December 2015, and April and October 2016.

           The latest visit was on May 19, 2017, which was part of his nation-wide five-day tour that took him among other things to Aceh, South Kalimantan, and North Maluku.

             This time, he delivered another promise, namely the completion of the four-story Mama-Mama market.  
    The market is in downtown Jayapura and is built on a plot of land measuring 4,490 square meters and can accommodate up to 300 vendors.

          The market has modern facilities and is expected to attract domestic and foreign tourists to visit Papua Province.

           Jowoki was accompanied by First Lady Iriana, State Enterprises (BUMN) Minister Rini Soemarno, Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa, Minister of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Yohanna Yembise, and Health Minister Nila Moeloek during his hour-long visit to the market.

       The President and his entourage walked to the market from the hotel where he was staying during his stay in the city.

        The market, which is about 50 meters from the Aston Jayapura Hotel, was earlier an office and the Damri bus terminal.

         Following his arrival at the market, Jokowi immediately received an update from Minister Soemarno on the development of the market and then inspected the stalls on the first floor and observed the facilities on the second floor.    
   The construction of the market began on April 30, 2016, and has now been completed. 
   The market and its facilities are now ready to be used, President Jokowi said.

        "The most important thing is that it is now 100 percent ready, and training is being continuously carried out," he was quoted as saying by Bey Machmudin, head of the Press, Media and Information Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat.

         The inauguration of the market, however, awaits the installation of Jayapura's mayor.

            The central government has handed over the operation of the market to the Papua provincial administration.

            "The inauguration of the market should be organized by the governor, and we are waiting for the new mayor to be installed," the head of state noted.

         The construction of the Mama-Mama Market supports the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry's program to eradicate economic injustice faced by women, the minister emphasized.

       Minister Yembise, who is an indigenous Papuan, expressed hope that the newly built Mama-Mama Market would help increase the income of mothers in Papua.

            "The President hopes that this market will soon be used for the benefit of mothers. We have also engaged in training women here, so that they can produce Papua's main commodities that could be then sold in this market or even outside Papua," Yembise stated, while accompanying the President during the visit to the Mama-Mama Market.

                During his Papua visit, the President also officiated several projects, including the construction of the 50-Megawatt (MW) feed gas-fired plant (PLTMG), and the Integrated State Boundary Post in Skouw, Jayapura.

        The president vowed to build a market center soon for the local people in Skouw, which shares its borders with Papua New Guinea (PNG).

        "The development of supporting facility will take place immediately around the Skouw checkpoint," Jokowi remarked, adding that the border market center will contribute to improving the welfare of the people.   
    Most of the buyers at the market are expected to be the inhabitants of Papua and PNG.     
    Meanwhile, the development of five thousand traditional markets and modernizing of the old ones are among the Jokowi administration's Nawacita (Nine Priorities) program during his five-year term (2014-2019). 
    The head of state called for transparent and professional management of the traditional markets to boost their competitiveness and make them at par with modern markets, such as malls and shopping centers.  
The President urged vendors in newly built traditional market to maintain cleanliness and tidiness.

             He hoped to put an end to the image that traditional markets are dirty and muddy places.

              The central government has planned to build at least 15 traditional markets in Papua and West Papua Provinces, with the main objective of improving the welfare of the local community. Markets are also expected to help stabilize commodity prices in Papua.

             Among the new markets will be Iriati Central Market in Wondama (West Papua), Kenyam in Nduga (Papua), Mulia in Puncak Jaya (Papua), and Tambaruni in Fak (West Papua), in addition to Elelim in Yalimo (Papua), Waisei in Raja Empat (West Papua), Rufei in Sorong (West Papua), and Kumurkek in Maybrat (West Papua). The other markets are Doyo Baru in Sentani-Jayapura (Papua), Entrop in Jayapura, Wosi in Manokwari (West Papua), Waropen in Papua, and Jibama in Jayawijaya (Papua), besides Eiknemba in Intan Jaya (Papua), and Kaimana in West Papua. ***3***
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(T.F001/A/BESSR/A. Abdussalam) 11-05-2017