Indonesia: Government Builds Papua According to Community Aspirations
By: Yowar Matulessy )*
Accelerating Papua’s development that has absorbed community aspirations has become one of the priority agendas of the Indonesian government in recent years. Concrete steps have been taken to ensure that development in this region not only runs according to plan but is also sustainable and oriented towards the needs of the local community.
One effort that deserves appreciation is the safari conducted by the Acting Mayor of Jayapura, Christian Sohilait, to a number of sub-districts and villages. Through this step, the government not only monitors development progress, but also absorbs aspirations from the community and public servants such as health workers and teachers.
In this context, Sohilait emphasized the importance of directly monitoring the progress of development programs in various regions. As he expressed during the safari to Trikora and Angkasapura Sub-districts, development in the two sub-districts has reached 70 percent. This shows that Papua is on the right track towards accelerating development.
Accelerating development in Papua is not only about infrastructure, but also about how the government ensures that all public services can be accessed by the community effectively and on target. During the safari, Sohilait emphasized the importance of the role of health workers in health centers and teachers in schools in supporting holistic development.
This is in line with the idea that a city can only develop if public services run quickly and accurately. Development that only focuses on physical without paying attention to social needs and community services will only result in unequal development.
Furthermore, Sohilait also emphasized the importance of maintaining social and political stability, especially ahead of the 2024 Regional Head Elections (Pilkada). During his visits to various sub-districts and villages, he reminded how important it is to ensure that election preparations run smoothly.
On the other hand, efforts to accelerate Papua’s development are also strengthened by the provincial government’s initiative to improve the quality of data used for development planning. In September 2024, the Central Papua Provincial Government together with the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) held a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) on the Compilation of Gross Regional Domestic Product (PDRB) using the Chain Volume Measure (CVM) method.
Acting Regional Secretary Anwar Harun Damanik emphasized that this strategic step aims to strengthen the foundation of Central Papua’s economic development by referring to more accurate and measurable data.
CVM itself is an innovative method that allows the government to measure economic growth more precisely by taking into account changes in volume and price over time.
This initiative shows that the government is not only moving with the spirit of physical development, but also strengthening aspects of economic planning and analysis. Accurate data is needed to formulate policies that are right on target and in accordance with conditions in the field.
Sectoral statistical development was also the main focus of the FGD. Sectoral statistics play an important role in providing a more detailed picture of the development of each economic sector in Papua.
Without accurate sectoral data, the government will have difficulty designing policies that are right on target. Therefore, collaboration between BPS, sectoral agencies, and economic actors in Central Papua is key to ensuring that policies taken are based on valid and relevant data.
Papua, with its diverse topography, has many areas that are difficult to reach, so it requires a more innovative approach in infrastructure development and public services. In addition, social issues such as horizontal conflict and economic inequality are also challenges that must be faced by the government.
Developing Papua is not an easy job, but with the spirit of collaboration, innovation, and sustainability, Papua has a great opportunity to develop rapidly. The government, society, and all stakeholders need to continue to synergize to ensure that development in Papua is not only fast, but also sustainable and in accordance with the local context.
)* Papuan Students Living in Manado
