Indonesian Government to accelerate welfare development in Papua, says VP Ma’ruf Amin

Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: The Indonesian Government will take steps to accelerate welfare development, reduce poverty, and improve infrastructure in Papua, Vice President Ma’ruf Amin has said.

He made the statement in relation to Presidential Regulation Number 121 of 2022 concerning the establishment of a steering committee for the acceleration of Papua special autonomy development, which was ratified on October 21, 2022. He was appointed as chair of the steering committee.

“We will take steps to accelerate welfare development in Papua, eliminate various obstacles to prosper, reduce poverty there, and, of course, (improve) the needed infrastructure,” he said in a press release received on Monday.

In addition, the fulfillment of basic needs, education, and security will continue to be carried out and maintained to prevent obstacles, he added.

He also shared his plan to make a working visit to Papua to push the acceleration of coordination for development in the area.

“Various programs that we call acceleration programs have been designed. Inshallah (if God wills), we will visit Papua soon to coordinate (them),” he said.

Spokesperson for the Vice President Masduki Baidlowi, in a written statement, informed that Amin will strengthen synchronization, harmonization, and coordination for accelerating Papua’s development and consolidating the implementation of special autonomy for Papua.

Baidlowi said that with the ratification of the new presidential regulation, Vice President Amin has been appointed as the chair of the steering committee, whose members consist of the Home Affairs Minister, the National Development Planning Minister, and the Finance Minister, as well as one community representative from each province of Papua island.

According to him, through the steering committee, the Vice President will prioritize preparing the foundation for a comprehensive development policy for Papua in 2022–2041.

He noted that the 20-year Papua Development Acceleration Master Plan is an essential guideline for national development.

In addition, for the short term, the Vice President will pay attention to preparing quick win actions in 2023–2024 under the Action Plan for the Acceleration of Development in Papua.

He will also strengthen the consolidation of the implementation of special autonomy in Papua in terms of culture, politics, regional finance, and the expansion of Papua province.