President Joko Widodo, more commonly known as Jokowi, has made an announcement to the Papua community. They will get the responsibility to oversee a significant amount of funds for infrastructure development in their region. The amount of this infrastructure fund is 1036 trillion rupiahs.
The President states it during his visit to the Papua region to inaugurate PYCH. Also, he emphasized the importance of infrastructure development to promote economic growth. Also, it improves the lives of the people in the region.
During his speech, President Jokowi acknowledged the challenges faced by the people of Papua due to their geographic location. It makes it difficult to access essential services such as healthcare and education.
Then, he highlighted that the infrastructure development projects would help address these challenges, and the involvement of the Papua community in overseeing the funds would ensure accountability and transparency.
The President also stated that the infrastructure development projects would create job opportunities for the people of Papua and improve their living standards. He urged the Papua community to work together with the government to ensure that the funds are utilized effectively and efficiently to achieve the desired outcomes.
The Government Has Spent Rp1,036 Trillion
President Joko Widodo stated that the government had given Rp1,036 trillion from 2014 until 2022. This fund is for building Papua’s infrastructure. The government has completed many projects, including the Trans Papua road, the Youtefa bridge, and the renovation of Domine Eduard airport.
Since this fund is big, Jokowi warns Papuans to oversee this fund in order to prevent corruption. It is because corruption becomes a huge challenge for development in many areas.
Besides, Jokowi also said that Papua becomes his priority. No doubt, he disburses a lot of money for Papua’s development. Since 2017, our government has given development funds of more than Rp 11 trillion per year for Papua.
But, the biggest problem of this development project is transparency and corruption. For example, KPK announces that Lukas Enembe, the governor of Papua, is becoming a suspect in a graft case in 2022. Lukas is the suspect of receiving gratification and bribes for the procurement of goods for the infrastructure development project.
In response to these concerns, President Jokowi assured the public that the government would take all necessary measures to prevent any misuse of funds. He emphasized that the involvement of the Papua community in overseeing the funds would act as a safeguard against corruption and misuse.
Papua Becomes Development Priority
The speech of President Jokowi is also about the broader issue of infrastructure development in Indonesia. While the government has made significant investments in infrastructure development in recent years, there are still significant gaps in infrastructure in many parts of the country. It occurs in remote and underdeveloped regions such as Papua.
Therefore, the government allocates big funds for the development of infrastructure in Papua. A large amount of development funds prove the government’s commitment to prioritizing the development of Papua. So, the development is not only centralized in Java.
We all can see the result of successful development in Papua, including:
- Trans Papua Road for more than 3.400 km.
- Also, the government has built a 1.000 km road on the cross-country border between Indonesia and PNG.
- Besides, the construction of the Youtefa Bridge is another result of infrastructure development.
- Moreover, the government has completed other projects, such as developing the DEO airport terminal, cross-border post, and Papua Youth Creative Hub.
Overall, the speech by President Jokowi regarding the 1000 trillion rupiahs for infrastructure funds in Papua is a significant step towards promoting economic growth. However, it is also a reminder that infrastructure development in Indonesia needs to be carried out in a way that is inclusive, transparent, and accountable to the local communities.
