Indonesia: Government Gives Serious Attention to Papua Development

By: Marcellino Angel Krey )*

The Main Expert of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) for the development of Eastern Indonesia and Papua, Theofransus Litaay, emphasized that the government will continue to give full attention to the implementation of this program until 2025.

According to him, the government has prepared concrete steps involving various sectors, such as health, education, and agriculture, which are expected to have a real impact on the people of Papua.

One of the leading programs that will be implemented is the provision of nutritious food for the people of Papua, especially for vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, toddlers, and students at all levels of education. This program has received a budget allocation of IDR 71 trillion and will be managed by the National Nutrition Agency.

The government’s efforts to improve the nutrition of the people of Papua are actually nothing new. In previous years, a trial of a program to provide healthy nutritious food was conducted in Jayapura City, in collaboration with UNICEF.

The results of this program were very positive, especially in overcoming the problem of malnutrition in children. This success has encouraged the government to develop similar programs throughout Papua by 2025. With this program, it is hoped that the Papuan people, especially children, can avoid health problems that are often caused by lack of nutritional intake.

In addition to focusing on the health sector, the government is also paying great attention to improving health services in Papua. In 2025, the government plans to improve hospital facilities in the region. Type D hospitals in Papua will be upgraded to type C with more complete medical equipment.

In the education sector, the government has prepared a school renovation program and the provision of decent Bathing, Washing and Toilet (MCK) facilities. This renovation involves various ministries, such as the Ministry of PUPR, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, and the Ministry of Religion, which will work together to determine which schools need repairs.

In addition, the government also plans to build superior schools in Papua. The aim of building these superior schools is to improve the quality of education and human resources (HR) in Papua, especially for indigenous Papuans. With the existence of superior schools, it is hoped that Papua can produce a young generation that is able to compete at the national and international levels.

In the agricultural sector, the government plans to develop a national food barn in Papua. This program involves the intensification and extensification of agricultural land, with a target of 80 thousand hectares of land to be intensified and 150 thousand hectares of new rice fields to be created, especially in the South Papua Province.

The development of this food barn is not only aimed at increasing food production in Papua, but also at improving the welfare of local farmers. With support from the Ministry of PUPR and the Ministry of Agriculture, it is hoped that the agricultural sector in Papua can become one of the main pillars in economic development in the region.

Meanwhile, the West Papua Provincial Government is also not sitting idly by in aligning the medium and long-term development vision with the central government. In order to ensure this alignment, the provincial government together with Econusa held a Technical Guidance (Bimtek) for the Alignment of the Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD) Document in Sorong.

Sheilla Anna Edwina Tarami from Econusa emphasized the importance of a sustainable approach in Papua’s development. According to her, development in Papua must involve local communities, especially indigenous peoples, and consider the sustainability of natural resources owned by the region.

In this regard, Econusa has been actively supporting various local initiatives that focus on community resilience, policy advocacy, and local economic development in Papua and Maluku. Support from institutions such as Econusa is essential in ensuring that development in Papua is inclusive and sustainable.

On the other hand, the Expert Staff of the Governor of Southwest Papua, George Yarangga, expressed his hope that the Bimtek that was held could encourage the creation of a balance between physical development and ecosystem preservation.

He also emphasized the importance of targeted planning, so that the development carried out is not only beneficial in the short term, but can also be sustainable in the long term and responsive to disasters.

)* Papuan Student Writer Living in Surabaya