By : Hendrik Pattipawae )*
4 New Autonomous Regions (DOB) facilitate poverty reduction because one of the objectives of its formation is for the welfare of the people of Papua. With the addition of provinces, APBD funds will also increase, so that they can be used for programs that are beneficial to the people of Cendrawasih Earth. All Papuan people support the 4 new autonomous regions and they are grateful for being cared for by the central government.
Finally, Papua officially has 4 new provinces, namely the Provinces of Central Papua, South Papua, Southwest Papua, and Central Highlands Papua. The formation of the 4 new autonomous regions is purely the desire of the Papuan people. They want their life to be more advanced thanks to the expansion of the territory.
Papua Regional Secretary Acting (Plh) Derek Hegemur, instructed all Regional Apparatus Organizations (OPD) within the Papua Provincial Government to focus on reducing the poverty rate in Papua, through their respective work programs.
Derek continued, his party asked the Heads of OPD to focus more on reducing the poverty rate in Cenderawasih Earth. This is to support the achievement of a prosperous quality of life for the people of Papua. With the remaining nine regencies/cities after the establishment of the new autonomous region (DOB). Supposedly, efforts to reduce poverty in Papua will be easier.
If in the past it took care of 29 districts and 1 city, now fewer OPDs are being taken care of. So that the focus of handling can be more targeted, and that is what is expected in developing new autonomous regions in the future.
This means that the addition of new autonomous regions will make it easier for local governments to reduce poverty. The reason is because more and more provinces in Papua and each new autonomous region are focusing on efforts to reduce poverty in Cendrawasih Land. Communities who benefit because their lives are increasingly prosperous.
The Central Bureau of Statistics for Papua Province released the percentage of poor people in March 2023 of 26.03 percent, a decrease of 0.77 percentage points from September 2022. This indicates that the additional new autonomous regions have succeeded in reducing the poverty rate throughout the Papua region. Even though 4 new autonomous regions have only been established for a year, programs for people’s welfare have been running effectively.
Meanwhile, if there are additional provinces in Papua, apart from facilitating regulation (because it can be easier with the same cultural approach) it will prosper the people. The reason is because more and more APBD funds are being disbursed by the government, so that the money can be used for infrastructure development and other things, so that people’s lives are getting better.
The addition of the new autonomous regions was really made for the benefit of the Papuan people. This program is very good for decades to come. The Papuan people also support the 4 new autonomous regions because their lives have gotten much better and Papua is no longer synonymous with areas that are still pristine forests.
Papua is not only synonymous with remote areas, but also poverty. However, the government does not remain silent in seeing this phenomenon and is trying hard to eradicate poverty from Papua. Isn’t it written in the Constitution that ‘the poor and neglected children are cared for by the state’? So, the government is here to alleviate poverty by adding new autonomous regions.
Member of the Republic of Indonesia DPR Yan Permenas stated that the Papuan people support the new autonomous region. Residents in various customary territories fully support the expansion of the territory. The Papuan People’s Council (MRP) also agreed that there would be new provinces on Cendrawasih Land. In a sense, all Papuans agree on the new new autonomous region and indeed they have wanted it for a long time.
The community asked for additional new autonomous regions so that their lives would be more prosperous. First, when there is a new province, new infrastructure will also be built. With this new road, people’s journeys will run smoothly, so that it will have a positive impact on the economy. The reason is because the flow of merchandise shipments also goes smoothly, and it is hoped that it can lower the price of goods in Papua.
Then, when there are 4 new provinces, new wholesale markets will also be built. The existence of the market is very important because it is the center of the community’s economy. Even though there is currently a marketplace , some residents prefer to shop directly because they can hold their goods and bid on the merchants. The market will accommodate traders and the community’s economic activities will run more lively.
Traders in the market who are women or who are called ‘mama’ also benefit from the addition of new autonomous regions. This is because when there is a new provincial government, the budget will also be new. Part of the budget is used as assistance to mothers, in the form of additional business capital (cash), machines for work (grater machines and other machines), tables for selling, and so on.
With assistance from the provincial government, mothers will be more enthusiastic about selling. They rack their brains so that their wares are sold and the proceeds are to help their husbands make a living. As a result, the lives of Papuans will be better because the income of each family increases.
The addition of 4 new autonomous regions in Papua facilitates poverty alleviation programs. The reason is because the APBD funds have increased and are used for community empowerment in Cendrawasih Earth. Those who benefit because their welfare increases.
)* The author is a Papuan student living in Bali
