The Government’s commitment to Papua’s infrastructure development and human development continues to this day. Papua has been the focus of attention since the beginning of Joko Widodo’s administration, and this commitment has been continued until the second term with Vice President KH Ma’ruf Amin.

President Jokowi hopes that the development of various infrastructures in eastern Indonesia can strengthen the economy and improve the welfare of the Papuan people. Presidential Instruction Number 9 of 2020 is one of the regulations established to accelerate development progress in Papua.

Law number 2 of 2021 as a revision to Law number 21 of 2001 concerning Papua’s Special Autonomy was also passed at the end of 2021. This law strengthens the dignity of indigenous Papuan people while affirming and protecting their fundamental rights in the economic, political, social, and cultural sectors.

Connecting Papua

President Jokowi has visited Papua twelve times since the beginning of his administration, making him the only Indonesian President with the most visits in Papua.

The Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR) Ministry allocates an infrastructure development budget for Papua Province up to Rp6.12 trillion for the 2021 budget year. This budget is used to fund the natural resource sector (Rp670 billion) and the buildings of roads and bridges (Rp4.46 trillion), public settlements (Rp650 billion), and housings (Rp330 billion).

The Central Government also allocates Rp3.67 trillion for infrastructure, Rp600 billion for natural resources, Rp2.54 trillion for roads and bridges, Rp320 billion for public settlements, and Rp200 billion for housings for the West Papua provincial government.

Furthermore, the PUPR Ministry has four infrastructure programs for Papua and West Papua. The programs are equitable development to improve people’s welfare, affirmative support for improving human resources of the Papuan people, the Cash Intensive Work Program (PKT) implementation, and basic need and service fulfillment with PUPR infrastructure support.

Dozens of infrastructure development and renovations in Papua have been made and inaugurated by President Jokowi. The Government has finished developing 3,446 km out of 3,462 of the Trans Papua road until August 2021.

A total length of 1,733 km has been paved, and 1,712 km is unpaved. The Government needs only develop another 16 km of the road to achieve the overall target.

The PUPR Ministry is also building a border road in Papua with a total length of 1,098 km. Currently, 931 km has been finished, and 756 km has been paved out of that length.

The Government has also polished two border posts in Skouw (North) and Sota (South) and built a long bridge in Youtefa Bay that connects Jayapura City with the Holtekamp area and the Skouw Cross-Border Post (PLBN). The Government has also built the East Palapa Ring telecommunications network.

At least ten airports have been constructed. Six airports are located in Papua Province. They are the Ewer Airport, Kepi Airport, Ilaga Airport, Oksibil Airport, Nabire Baru Airport, and Mopah Airport. The other four airports are in West Papua Province, namely Rendani Manokwari Airport, Waisai Raja Ampat Airport, Wasior Baru Airport, and Siboru Fak-fak Airport.

The Government is pushing for the construction of a container port in the Depapre District, Jayapura Regency. It has also built Nabire Port, Pomako Port, Moor Port, Serui Port, and Kaimana Port in West Papua Province. These ports are now connected as part of the Jayapura-Sorong-Merauke sea toll port route, which helps reduce the prices of food and other necessities.

The President also inaugurated the construction of the Indonesian Military (TNI) LB Moerdani General Hospital in Margamulya District, Merauke Regency.

Entrepreneurial Growth

Papua’s economic transformation requires the active role of entrepreneurs and the revitalization of the people’s market. The Government prepares incubation, innovation, and creativity facilities. Digitization is accelerated to foster start-up businesses.

Based on Papua Muda Inspiratif data, as of October 2021, 8,025 members have participated in the development program in MSMEs, agriculture, social and culture, education and health, and creative industries and digital technology. The number increased by 21 members from the previous 8,004 members in 2019.

The Government built a market in Jayapura to encourage economic growth by rehabilitating Wouma Market in Wamena in 2020 with a budget of Rp2.1 billion, and 403 shophouses in Wamena after social conflicts with a budget of Rp138.6 billion. The Government is also building the Thumburuni Market in Fakfak, West Papua, which will begin construction in early August 2021.

Human Resource Capacity Improvement

The Government is committed to producing superior talent from Papua, among others, through the Papuan talent management ecosystem. Data from the Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry states that 3,648 students have received the 2021 higher education affirmation scholarships (ADik). Meanwhile, the 2021 secondary education affirmation scholarships (Adem) have been given to 999 students of grade 10; 1,363 students of grade 11;  and 1,420 students of grade 12.

A total of 179 state and religious schools as well as one state university (PTN) were built to support the development of human resource capacity. The President even instructed the recruitment of 1,000 indigenous Papuan youths in the State-Owned Enterprises (SOE).

President Jokowi hopes that the construction of the Papua Youth Creative Hub, whose groundbreaking took place on Saturday, 2 October, will be a talent development center and creative center for Papuan youth to strengthen the innovation ecosystem.

The future of Papua lies in the hands of the young generation who are healthy and intelligent with guaranteed education. This foundation will give birth to a strong soul, a firm heart, and a competent person who is fully committed to building the land of Papua.

Quality Bureaucracy

A quality bureaucracy is needed to manage the strength of human resources and the abundance of Papua’s natural resources.

Papua and West Papua scored B for the Government Performance Accountability System (SAKIP). These two provinces received CC scores for the 2020 Bureaucratic Reform Index.

Papua and West Papua in 2018 achieved B score in SAKIP. Papua scored B while West Papua scored CC for Bureaucratic Reform Index. The two provinces scored BB in SAKIP Index and the Bureaucratic Reform Index in 2019.

PON and the Pride of Papua

According to the Communications and Informatics Minister Johnny G Plate, the Papua XX National Games (PON) gave the Papuans new hope.

“This is a party that erase the old stigma about Papua’s backwardness,” said Johnny in the report “2021 Performance Achievements: Resilient Indonesia, Indonesia Grows” which was launched precisely in the two years of the administration of President Joko Widodo-Vice President KH Ma’ruf Amin, Wednesday, 20 October.

According to Johnny, as quoted by Infopublik.go.id, President Joko Widodo was present to open the Papua PON, which marked a new history in the eastern part of Indonesia. “Papua opens our eyes to the richness of culture, sportsmanship, human resources development, and the importance of living a safe and prosperous life,” he said.

The Government has entrusted the PON implementation to Papua by giving tens of trillions to prepare the venues designated for the National Games.