By: Saby Kossay) *
The government is intensively building Papua and many prestigious projects that have started since 2019. The construction of bridges, roads and other infrastructure will bring prosperity to all Papuans. They can enjoy these facilities and launch their business, thanks to the support of adequate infrastructure.
The construction of the trans Papua road that connects Papua and West Papua Provinces which stretches more than 4,000 kilometers is President Joko Widodo’s breakthrough in the welfare of Papuans. If there is a good and smooth road, then the delivery of goods between regions can be smooth and save time. Then the shipping costs can also go down.
Likewise with the construction of the Hamadi-Holketam bridge. The bridge also facilitates transportation between the capital city of Jayapura and Skouw. Also a tourist destination. The existence of this beautiful red bridge can attract local and foreign tourists. This can benefit Papuans who have accommodation and travel businesses.
President Joko Widodo stated that if the infrastructure in Papua is good, the ports and roads are good, then the economy will grow faster. Because the logistics distribution for people and finished goods has increased. The effect is that there will no longer be poverty, because everyone is already prosperous. Papua is no longer an abandoned territory, because it is always being considered.
Poverty that has occurred in Papua is indeed a cause for concern, because there are 25% of the population who belong to the lower middle class. This is the concern of the President and he tries to make the Papuan people prosperous. Therefore, infrastructure was built and it aims to avoid economic inequality between Papua and Java.
Development in the Papua region is indeed aimed at the welfare of the people. President Joko Widodo was elected in the first term in 2014, indeed promised to advance Indonesia, especially in the land of paradise. This promise was kept, and currently there are other projects there, such as Sentani International Airport and full electrification in Papua and West Papua.
The welfare of the Papuan people will also improve thanks to the electrification project. If the entire area has electricity, people can open shops until evening and open other businesses that of course need electricity. There are no more areas without electricity in Indonesia, no longer like in the middle of nowhere.
Development in the Papua region, such as building projects, bridges, airports, also requires a lot of employees to be completed quickly. This is a good opportunity for indigenous Papuan workers to work there. If the office building is finished, they can also become employees, provided they meet the age requirements and a minimum of education.
Education is also the government’s concern in the welfare of Papua. The children there are guaranteed high school and scholarship. Both from the government and mining companies. Because human resource development is also important. Do not let children drop out of school because of costs and the remote location of the school.
If they have graduated from college, of course they can apply for work as office employees, not just manual labor. Salaries were higher than usual and people’s lives automatically became more prosperous. Education is a long-term investment and human resource improvement programs can change the people’s mindset there about the importance of school.
Infrastructure development in Papua is a step taken by the government for the welfare of the people there. Even though it is located far from Jakarta, it is certain that it will receive full attention from the President. The goal is that all Papuan people can prosper and there will be no more economic inequality in the eastern and western regions of Indonesia.
) * The author is a Papuan student living in Jakarta