Otsus Present for the Welfare of the Papuan People

The Papua Special Autonomy Policy is a meeting point for the middle ground to strengthen Papuan integration as well as a bridge to pursue peace and build prosperity in the Land of Papua.

Otsus itself is still ongoing according to Law Number 21 of 2001 concerning Special Autonomy for Papua. So far, since being implemented for 20 years, the amount of special autonomy funds for Papua has reached Rp. 126.9 trillion, which is focused mainly on 30% for the education sector and 15% for the health and nutrition sector.

The amount of the Special Autonomy fund shows the commitment of the Government of Indonesia to the development of Papua. Through Otsus, Indigenous Papuans are also required to become regional heads based on Article 12 of Law 21 of 2001 concerning Special Autonomy for Papua Province, the Governor and Deputy Governor are obliged to be indigenous Papuans (OAP).

It cannot be denied that there are strengths and weaknesses in the implementation of Otsus. What Papua and West Papua need in the future is to increase the accountability and transparency of Otsus in order to benefit the welfare of the Papuan people of Special Autonomy for Papua and the welfare of indigenous Papuans.

Chairman of the DPRD, Maybrat Ferdinando Solossa, explained that the presence of the Papua Special Autonomy since 2001 was a demand for Papuans who felt left behind from various aspects. According to him, in the 20 years period until now, the presence of Otsus has been recognized as providing enormous benefits.

Maybrat hopes that, in future implementation, local governments will be given the greatest possible space in terms of authority so that Otsus can provide more optimal benefits. Also, so that the implementation of Otsus can be accommodated properly so that such a large budget can be realized according to its allocation.