Infrastructure in Papua still requires improvements. It is not only in the cities but also on the border. As the country’s frontline, the border road requires more attention and improvements. It is to ensure the safety of the people of Papua. Moreover, the local authorities could prevent new attacks from the separatist group with better border roads.
The decision on the Papua border road construction continued will certainly provide security for the Papuan people. The border is between Papua and Papua New Guinea. The construction will cover roads of more than one thousand kilometers in length. It is one of the projects that become the ministry’s main focus.
Benefits of Papua Border Road Construction
The border road in Papua will bring benefits not only for the people of Papua but also for Papua New Guinea. Having a well-established railroad on the border will increase security for both countries. The border security forces will have better access throughout the border. They could conduct routine security checks easily.
The railroad also marks infrastructure distribution in Papua. It improves mobility among the people of Papua. With a better railroad, people could easily travel between cities. They also can reach the remote area in a shorter time.
The Minister of PUPR noted the strategic value of the railroad for the country. The main function is for defense and security in the border area. It still has other functions to support the economic growth in Papua, especially in the border areas.
Continuing the border road construction will make the people in the remote areas of Papua feel the infrastructure improvements and progress. It opens the remote areas, making traveling to the farthest areas in Indonesia easier.
For economic growth, this easy access also reduces transport costs. It also brings healthcare access to these remote areas. For children, it helps them to obtain an education without spending hours on travel.
After decades of neglect from the government, it is about time they get these improvements. President’s program for the development of Papua and its border is also in sync with this project.
Obstacles in Border Road Construction
Even though the border road gives so many benefits to the people of Papua, it comes with several obstacles. Basuki, as the Minister of PUPR, mentioned some of the obstacles the ministry had to struggle with.
The natural conditions of Papua give a big challenge to continuing road construction. This is a remote area with numerous natural challenges. Bringing all the materials and logistics to the border roads is not easy. And the construction team also could not obtain the required materials and logistics from the nearest city.
Therefore, the construction team split this project into several stages according to the terrain of Papua. There are times when they must cross steep mountains. And other times, the route brings them into dense jungle. Bringing all the heavy equipment is certainly challenging.
It is not only for the materials, equipment, and logistics. Labor in remote Papua is hard to obtain. There is big labor mobility from other cities into the border area of Papua.
Other than natural conditions, this project also gets security threats. The separatist group of Papua mostly hides in the remote border area. So, construction workers are at high risk of contact with this security threat.
Border road construction is a long project for the PUPR Ministry. The target in 2023 is to complete 3,707 kilometers of border road in Papua and other parts of Indonesia. With the Papua border road construction continuing, the government hopes to bring more improvement to the people in remote areas.
