By: Timothy Gobay )*
The government makes a new strategy so that the Papuan people prosper, namely the welfare approach. In this way, the Papuan people are expected to have a better standard of living
What do you know about the life of the Papuan people? If the answer is people who still wear a koteka and live in Honai, then that is a picture of life in the 60s years ago. Now it is rare to wear traditional clothes and even people’s houses are also beautiful and have ceramic tiles.
Currently Papua is improving to become more advanced, because the government also wants to generalize progress from Sabang to Merauke. Papua is part of Indonesia, therefore the people must also be promoted, such as in Java and other islands in this country.
The government is indeed making a welfare approach for all Papuan people. This was stated by Vice President KH Ma’ruf Amin. If there is a welfare approach, of course the people will have a better life and at the same time can prevent hostility from KST. The reason is because they see people’s lives are more prosperous, thus canceling his intention to defect.
The welfare approach is the main option so that the people will live more prosperously. Special autonomy funds also continue to be enlarged, even in 2021 the budget reached trillions of rupiah, and as much as 2.5% of the DAU (general allocation fund).
With a budget of this size, it will certainly make the people prosperous, but the method is not distributed like social assistance. The Special Autonomy Fund (Otsus) will be channeled to several sectors so that it can spur people’s prosperity. For example, in the field of education, scholarships are given so that children can go to school and study smoothly. When you have a high diploma, it will be easy to have a job and your standard of living will increase.
In addition, the Special Autonomy funds were also channeled for capital loans for mothers (mothers in Papua). They can trade noken, sago, or other goods in the market. With a capital loan, you can start a business without being confused about having to look for collateral, because this credit is very soft and guaranteed by the government. When they trade, of course, they can help the family’s economy.
The quality of life of the Papuan people is being boosted so that there will be no significant difference between there and in Java or other areas. One of the government’s programs is to reduce the price of fuel oil, because in Papua the price can reach 100,000 rupiah. The price is very expensive because it must be transported by plane which is expensive to send. However, by cooperating with Pertamina, the price can be reduced.
The decline in the price of fuel oil in Papua was also accompanied by the construction of the Trans Papua Road. This more than 400 KM long road is very representative and facilitates people’s mobility, so they shorten the travel time. When there is a good road then do not rely on shipping via air which is very expensive.
If the price of fuel oil goes down and the trans-Papua road gets longer, the people will automatically become more prosperous because the shipping costs for finished goods will automatically decrease. If the shipping costs go down, the prices of basic necessities and other materials can also be reduced, because so far they are expensive because the delivery is also expensive. When the price drops, the Papuan civilians will gain.
The welfare approach made by the government for the Papuan people is very beneficial, because thanks to Otsus and other programs, their lives are getting better. The quality of life of the community improves because they are facilitated by the infrastructure made by the government.
)* The author is a Papuan student living in Gorontalo
