By : Alfred Jigibalom )*
The establishment of a new autonomous region (DOB) in the form of a new district was strongly supported by intellectual figures. With the presence of the new autonomous region, the community will be more advanced. If there is a new district, there will be additional APBD funds so that it can increase the budget for development in Papua, so that its citizens will be more prosperous.
The addition of a province in Papua is a request from the people and the government will grant it in 2022. The government considers that Papua really needs a new province to facilitate public services and encourage people’s welfare. After that, the people asked for a new new autonomous region in the form of a district, so that development there would be even more massive.
The two proposed districts are Mare Regency and Maybrat Sau Regency, which are located in Southwest Papua Province. Mare’s intellectual figure, Agustinus Semunya, SH stated that he gave his appreciation to Commission II of the Indonesian Parliament for the Maybrat Sau and Mare DOB proposal. DOB is very helpful for all conveniences in service to the community.
Agustinus continued, as a young figure in Mare, he fully supports the DOB Maybrat Sau and Mare. He appealed to traditional leaders, women’s leaders and religious leaders to unite to pick up the new new autonomous regions for positive changes. The grassroots community in Mare fully supports DOB Mare. This will have an impact and help the community in the span of control and development services in Mare.
In a sense, the addition of new districts also has a positive effect on society, not only the addition of new provinces. The reason is because when there is a new district, the distance between the district head’s office and the community so that he can better hear the voices of his people, who want development to be carried out optimally.
Currently, Maybrat Regency has an area of 5,461 km2. With such a large area, it is only natural that the people ask for regional expansion. When there were 2 new districts which were divisions of Maybrat, the distance between the district government and the people was getting closer, making it easier to regulate.
The mission of special autonomy (otsus) is for the welfare of the people of Papua so that the expansion of the region also functions for the benefit of the people on Cendrawasih Earth. Appreciation is given to the government, especially President Jokowi, because he really wants the people of Papua to prosper thanks to the expansion of the region.
During President Jokowi’s administration, he visited Papua very often, and saw the reality for himself. For an even distribution of development in the Cendrawasih Land, there is no other way except regional expansion. Including the addition of a new autonomous region in the form of a new district in Mare, Maybrat.
Meanwhile, politician Junimart Girsang stated that the addition of new autonomous regions was a mandate from Law number 2 of 2021 concerning the Special Autonomy for Papua. Territorial expansion may be carried out by taking into account a number of things.
Expansion of the region will boost economic progress because it can trigger a positive domino effect. If there is a new province, the infrastructure will also be added and the most intensively developed is the highway. Apart from that, actually the most needed infrastructure is electricity.
There are still a handful of villages in Papua that don’t have electricity. Not because there is no touch from PLN, but people outside Papua need to know that the geographical conditions there are very different from those in Java. When there are hills and mountainous areas, or at the end of the beach, of course it is rather difficult to distribute electricity.
Therefore, if there is division of new regions and districts, there will be additional APBD funds for the new new autonomous regions. Some of these funds can be turned into electricity procurement projects, so that the entire Papua region can enjoy them. The government wants the principle of justice so that all Papuans are obliged to enjoy facilities in the form of adequate electricity.
The availability of electricity will trigger an increase in the people’s economy because they will no longer depend on generators. If there is a supply of electricity, the people will be enthusiastic to produce processed agricultural products (eg sago) which are processed using electronic devices. That way, economic activity will be more lively and the financial wheel spins quickly.
When the wheels of the economy turn, the people will be more prosperous. Electricity also supports online selling activities because people can have smartphones and have an operator signal. They can get more income by mastering digital marketing. The effect of regional division is very powerful which can trigger an increase in the people’s economy.
The effect of people’s welfare thanks to the rapidly increasing economy after the expansion of the region, also occurs in the education sector. When Papuans have a better standard of living, they are happy to send their children to high school, even to college. The cost is also independent and does not depend on the scholarship.
Intellectual figures support the addition of the Papua New Guinea in the form of two new districts in the Mare region, Maybrat. With the establishment of the district, it will bring prosperity to its people because there is massive infrastructure development. Papua will be even more advanced because it will make it easier for the people to move and do business.
)* The author is a Papuan student living in Bali
