The government has made various efforts to encourage development in Papua in order to create prosperity not only for the local population there, but also for the entire Indonesian nation. This equitable development is an important step in strengthening Papua’s social, economic and political integration with Indonesia as a whole.
Papua is a region that has extraordinary potential in terms of natural resources and cultural diversity. However, for several decades, development in Papua has not been completely equitable and is sometimes hampered by various factors such as inadequate infrastructure, limited access to health and education services, and economic inequality.
The government recognizes the importance of equitable development in Papua as an integral part of sustainable national development. Strategic steps have been taken, such as increasing investment in infrastructure, increasing access to basic services such as education and health, as well as inclusive economic programs involving local communities.
The Acting Governor of Papua, M Ridwan Rudalamun, said that development in Papua Province continues to show a positive trend. According to Ridwan, data for the third quarter of 2023 shows economic growth of 8.28%, exceeding the national average of 4.94%. Apart from that, the Human Development Index (HDI) of Papua Province has also experienced a significant increase, reaching 61.39 in 2022.
Ridwan added that regarding employment, the Open Unemployment Rate (TPT) in Papua Province was 2.67 percent, showing an encouraging figure. Accelerating Papua’s development has also proven successful after expansion, as can be seen from the Healthy Papua, Smart Papua and Productive Papua programs. According to him, in the Healthy Papua aspect, life expectancy which reached 66.23 years shows a significant increase. Meanwhile, efforts to reduce the prevalence of stunting have also been successful, with a decrease from 29% in 2021 to 26.9% in 2022.
In the Smart Papua sector, there is an increase in the expected length of schooling for both children and adults. The average length of schooling for people aged 25 years and over increased from 6.76 years in 2021 to 7.02 years in 2022. Meanwhile, Productive Papua showed positive development, with a reduction in poverty levels and open unemployment.
Improved infrastructure, including transportation and telecommunications networks, not only facilitates economic growth in Papua but also connects the region with other parts of Indonesia. This opens up opportunities for Papua to participate more actively in the national economy and increases integration between Papua and other regions.
Government efforts to increase access to health and education services are very important in improving the quality of life of the Papuan population. By strengthening Human Resources (HR) in Papua through quality education and better health services, strong human capital will be created to support sustainable development in the region.
Cendrawasih University (Uncen) stated that it is ready to produce quality and capable Human Resources (HR) to help development in every region in Papua, especially in Southwest Papua. Southwest Papua is very famous for its natural wealth, such as tourism, mining, extensive forests, fisheries and maritime affairs, which can only develop if human resources are very well established.
Head of the Master of Management Study Program at Cendrawasih University (Uncen) Ferdinan Risamasu explained that regional development which is related to optimizing its natural potential cannot be separated from qualified human resources. For this reason, concrete support from educational institutions such as Uncen in providing vocational schools is considered necessary to answer the need for developing natural potential in Southwest Papua.
Ferdinan called Sorong City the capital of Southwest Papua Province, previously known as ‘oil city’ and ‘service city’. However, the service city in question is not very clear and does not appear to be in accordance with the predicate attached to it. This issue has never been thought of and it is hoped that in the future, this must be done so that the province of Southwest Papua develops through strengthening qualified human resources, so that economic growth in the capital of the 38th province can grow and develop.
In line with Ferdinan Risamasu, Acting Governor of Southwest Papua, Muhammad Musa’ad also hopes that Uncen can play a role in development to empower natural resources and human resources in Southwest Papua.
The government has also implemented inclusive economic programs aimed at empowering local communities, including economic empowerment programs for indigenous communities and skills training programs to increase local economic independence. By empowering the Papuan people economically, social and economic stability will be created that supports long-term development in the region.
Overall, the equitable development carried out by the government in Papua has had a positive impact which is not only felt by the local population there, but also by the entire Indonesian nation. By strengthening Papua as an integral part of Indonesia, more equitable prosperity and greater strength will be created for the Indonesian nation as a whole. Therefore, continue to support the government’s efforts to realize inclusive and sustainable development in Papua.