Papua – President Prabowo Subianto’s commitment to developing Papua continues to receive appreciation from various groups. One of them came from Absalom Kreway Yarisetouw, Chairman of the Garuda Sakti Generation of Indonesia, Papua Province. According to him, President Prabowo’s first visit to Merauke, South Papua, some time ago was real evidence of the Government’s seriousness in advancing the Papua region.
President Prabowo Subianto chose Merauke as the location of his first visit as president to emphasize his commitment to Indonesia’s food security. In Merauke, the government is developing the area into a food barn center that is expected to be able to meet food needs in Papua and other regions. During his visit, President Prabowo also directly reviewed the rice planting and harvesting process, and monitored the development of the national food self-sufficiency program that focuses on sustainable agriculture.
Absalom Kreway Yarisetouw said that the visit showed President Prabowo’s commitment to paying attention to the agricultural sector in Papua. “I really appreciate President Prabowo’s concrete steps in going directly to the field to meet with farmers in Merauke. In addition, the selection of Merauke as the center of the food barn is a strategic step that can have a positive impact on the economy and welfare of the Papuan people,” said Absalom.
Furthermore, Absalom hopes that the Government will continue to focus on infrastructure and human resources (HR) development in Papua. “My hope is that the Prabowo Government can continue to improve development throughout the province of Papua, especially in terms of infrastructure that supports economic and social activities. Not only that, it is also important to build Papuan HR so that they can compete nationally and internationally, by improving the quality of education and training that is relevant to the needs of the job market,” he added.
As the chairman of the Garuda Sakti Generation of Indonesia, Absalom emphasized that the development of competitive human resources will be the main key in catching up with Papua from other regions. “We fully support the Government’s efforts in creating Papuan human resources who are ready to work and innovate for the development of this region,” concluded Absalom.
With a strong commitment from President Prabowo, it is hoped that Papua can become an advanced region and be on par with other regions in Indonesia. In addition, achieving food self-sufficiency in Papua can support more equitable national food security, especially in Eastern Indonesia.