By: Timothy Gobay) *
The development of Papua and West Papua is the focus of the Government’s attention. The incessant development in Papua and West Papua is the commitment of state administrators to realize social justice for all Indonesian people.
The provinces of Papua and West Papua are the two easternmost regions of Indonesia that are of concern to the government. Evidence that economic transformation is going well in Papua. Edy Priyono, Deputy Chief Expert III of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP), said the government continues to pay attention to development in the two easternmost provinces of Indonesia, namely Papua and West Papua.
According to him, various indicators show that socio-economic conditions in Papua and West Papua improved in the 2015-2019 period, for example the decreasing poverty and unemployment rates.
Edy said, during 2015-2019, the poverty rate in Papua decreased from 28.40 percent to 27.53 percent and West Papua fell from 25.72 percent to 22.17 percent.
In fact, the human development index in Papua increased from 57.25 to 60.84, while West Papua increased from 61.73 to 64.7.
These improvements are apparently in line with Presidential instruction Number 9 of 2020 concerning the acceleration of welfare development in Papua and West Papua Provinces.
In addition, a study conducted by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and The Asia Foundation in 2018 shows that road network development in the region has improved the socio-economic life of the community through improved connectivity.
The economic life of the people has improved because they feel that they can sell merchandise outside the region in greater quantities than before.
Improved connectivity also improves social life, because people can visit each other more often. “Road construction encourages lower costs and travel time,” said Edy.
In addition, at the end of 2019 the government has inaugurated the operation of the Special Economic Zone (KEK) Sorong, West Papua. Edy said the Sorong SEZ is focused on the mining (nickel) and forest / plantation products processing industry.
Edy said that this was a manifestation of the government’s commitment to spread centers of economic growth so that it did not only accumulate in the western part of Indonesia.
In October 2014, the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Wdodo, confirmed that one of the domestic policies is to develop and build infrastructure throughout Indonesia.
This has certainly become a deep commitment that we will not leave anyone behind, and need to embrace people who have felt abandoned and unattended.
One of the proofs that Papua is the biological child of the Republic of Indonesia is Bung Karno’s opening sentence where in almost every Ir Soekarno speech broadcast through RRI, sentences from Sabang to Merauke are very often echoed as proof of the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia.
Asvi Warman Adam as a historian of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), with or without the allure of his natural wealth, Soekarno would still fight for Papua. This is because the area falls within the scope of national sovereignty.
There are various cultures stored on Earth of Cenderawasih, from dance, food to language. This means that Papua is very rich in ancestral heritage.
President Joko Widodo has also pursued an economic approach that leads to the welfare of the Papuan people. For example, like one price for fuel, health, education and so on.
The government’s attention to the land of Papua is also evidenced by the appreciation of the Papuan youth leader, Izak R Hikoyabi. He considered that there were several things in the change of Papuan society.
One of them is the breadth of budget management for the Papuan Government with the existence of a special autonomy fund (Otsus) for Papua from the start that was set until 2020 worth IDR 126.99 trillion. Although there is a need for a thorough evaluation of this large budget.
The existence of the special autonomy fund also had a significant positive impact. Both in the political, social, economic and other fields.
Izak also revealed that the government’s move was an effective strategy by taking a dialogue approach to unravel problems and formulate alternative solutions.
Previously, President Joko Widodo had also said that development in his administration was no longer Java-centric, but evenly distributed throughout Indonesia or Indonesia-centric. So that all provinces have the same right to enjoy development.
The government will also try to develop Papua not only physically, but also to develop the easternmost province with a welfare approach.
) * The author is a Papuan student living in Gorontalo