By: Abner Wanggai )
The government has signaled to continue the Papua Special Autonomy . The special autonomy is considered to bring many benefits to the community, so that the Papuan people fully support the sustainability of the Otsus .
The government has budgeted special autonomy or Otsus funds for the Papua and West Papua regions in the 2021 Draft State Budget (RAPBN) to Rp. 7.8 trillion higher than in 2020 which amounted to Rp. 7.6 trillion.
This is in accordance with the mandate of the Special Autonomy Law Number 21 of 2001 that the Special Autonomy Fund is equivalent to 2% of the total national general allocation fund ceiling (DAU) and is valid for 20 years. The focus of its use is to support the improvement of health and education in Papua and West Papua. Likewise to support the development and maintenance of infrastructure, empowerment of the people’s economy and poverty alleviation.
Apart from the Special Autonomy Fund, the government has also allocated an additional Infrastructure Fund (DTI) of Rp. 4.3 trillion in the 2021 RAPBN. The determination of the amount of this budget is based on an agreement between the government and the DPR and considers proposals from the Papua and West Papua Regional Governments.
As written in the 2021 RAPBN Financial Note, DTI is expected to be able to link quality land, sea and / air transportation in all districts in the recipient province for at least 25 years since 2008.
According to data from the Ministry of Finance, Otsus and DTI funds have continued to increase for at least the next five years .
One of the traditional leaders or ondoafi of Yoka village, Jayapura City, Titus Mebri, claims that the implementation of Law Number 21 of 2001 concerning Special Autonomy (Otsus) in Papua Province has not completely failed, as some have argued .
Although there are some parties who think that so far Otsus has failed, there is plenty of evidence that Otsus has succeeded in changing people’s welfare slowly.
According to him, through the development of special autonomy in Papua be very rapid, the expansion area to shorten the reins of government and make the people of Papua in kampung- kampoung could better education for primary education up to college.
Including health services, with the presence of a number of health gas kits in the villages and many Papuan children who are now medical personnel, nurses to doctors.
To that end, Titus asked all parties to join hands to support the sustainability of Otsus, which was later called Otsus volume II in Papua.
Titus said, if there was no Otsus and only hoped that the APBD and APBN, Papua would be left behind many other regions in Indonesia. This is assessed in terms of funds, while from the side of things it will be left behind.
Men genai Autonomy in force, Titus suggested for evaluation of advantages and disadvantages, so it will be more leverage Autonomy sustainability and can make people of Papua is advancing and not marginalized .
Titus claimed that 12 villages in Jayapura City, the capital of Papua Province have unanimously supported that Special Autonomy for Papua Volume II should be extended.
On a different occasion, Yanto Eluay, as the Tabi traditional leader in Jayapura, admitted that residents in the Tabi and Saireri customary territories were carrying out a consolidation to discuss the issue of support for the evaluation and continuation of Papua special autonomy volume II.
According to him, the indigenous people of Tabi and Saireri plan to hold a grand meeting to discuss this matter, in the hope that they can get suggestions and input on how the autonomy can run more optimally.
Support for the Papua Special Autonomy Volume II also comes from the Governor of West Papua Dominggus Mandacan , his party has asked for the support of all parties to support the Papua Special Autonomy , which in the near future will be discussed by the central government together with the Provincial Government of West Papua and Papu.
The governor also emphasized that there are two things that need to be done in terms of Special Autonomy Volume II apart from funding. First, giving greater authority to the Pemprov in Tanah Papua in matters such as human resources and natural resources and secondly, the involvement of other line ministries (K / L).
Responding to a voice saying that the special autonomy Papua failed, Dominggus said that as actors in the bureaucracy of government, he said that as long as i ni special autonomy in Papua succeed.
Special Autonomy for Papua volume II can certainly be a stimulus for Papua to continue to rise in various sectors, including infrastructure, education and health, so it is important that this regulation continues.
) * The author is a Papuan student living in Yogyakarta