Presidential Instruction on Indonesian Papuan Welfare Development

Presidential Instruction on Indonesian Papuan Welfare Development

The government is preparing presidential instructions (Inpres) on Papua. The draft of the presidential decree is related to the development and improvement of the welfare of Papua. The Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD said, the Papua Presidential Instruction will be more complete or comprehensive.

"So far there is a team, a team belonging to Bappenas specifically for economic development and social welfare, there is a defense and security team here," he said in Jakarta, Tuesday (2/25/2020).

The draft of the presidential instruction is an update from the previous presidential instruction, namely Presidential Instruction No. 9/2017 concerning the Acceleration of Welfare Development in the Provinces of Papua and West Papua which have expired.

Mahfud said, the problems in Papua would later be managed in an integrated and comprehensive manner under the control of a team authority commanded by the Chairman of Bappenas. So far, according to him, the handling of Papua has been serious and integrated, but a separate organizational unit.

"In order to be integrated and comprehensive it is connected to a single unit of command. Not impressed that this is a security approach, a military approach, all under the control of a team authority commanded by the chairman of Bappenas. That's the draft of the presidential instruction," he said.

Mahfud said that the development budget in Papua had been enormous. However, each sector seems to run on its own, so it is not integrated, and now it will be more integrated.

Previously, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud met with Deputy V of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) Jaleswari Pramodhawardani discussing Presidential Instruction No. 9/2017 regarding the Acceleration of Welfare Development in the Provinces of Papua and West Papua.

"What was discussed about the presidential instruction on the acceleration of development in Papua and West Papua which ended in 2019," said Jaleswari, after meeting Mahfud at the Office of the Coordinating Ministry for Politics and Security, Jakarta, Tuesday.

According to him, even though the Inpres period had ended, President Joko Widodo continued to emphasize welfare development in Papua and West Papua. Because one of the President's focuses on Papua is to develop Papuan welfare. The government encourages the development of Papua's welfare in an integrated, holistic, and perspective on culture as well as promoting indigenous Papuans.