The Ministry of Finance Supports the Discussion of the Bill on the Expansion of the Southwest Papua Region

The Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) supports the process of further discussions regarding the formation of the Bill on the Expansion of the Province of Southwest Papua. The regulation is an initiative of the DPR.

Based on the data, the comparison of the average revenue and expenditure of the state budget (inflow and outflow) for the 2016-2020 aggregate region, the Papua region received a state expenditure allocation of Rp462 trillion. The allocation of state expenditures for Papua is in the Ministry's expenditure posts, regional transfers, and other expenditure posts related to Papua's regional development.

"Therefore, the next point is that we support that the APBN money that we allocate for Papua is guarded by more parties if there is a division. Yesterday, three (regions) were divided, then there is one more so more parties will see and be held accountable for the funds that we disbursed," said Deputy Minister of Finance, Suahasil Nazara while attending the DPR Commission II Working Meeting with the DPD and the government on Tuesday (30/8/2022).

Furthermore, regarding the funding of the new autonomous regions, according to the legislation, the benchmark for determining the new autonomous regions is June 30, 2022. Meanwhile, the new autonomous regions for the three new autonomous regions, namely South Papua Province, Central Papua Province, and Mountains Papua Province have been set on July 25, 2022. If the division of the Southwest Papua region can later be determined, the determination of the new autonomous regions can follow the previous three autonomous regions.

"Later, we will reallocate it so that by 2023 there will be transfer funds to this new autonomous region," he concluded.

Previously, South Manokwari students rejected the plan to expand the province of Southwest Papua proposed by the Acting Governor of West Papua Paulus Waterpauw. Representative of South Manokwari students, Rivaldo Ainusi, claimed that this was a personal interest without involving the community.

"We consider that the division of South West Papua is for their own interests without involving the West Papuan people themselves," said South Manokwari student representative in Jakarta, Rivaldo Ainusi, via a written statement, Friday (22/7/2022).

He said that the government was deemed not to have followed the procedure for a hearing with the local indigenous community as the owner of ulayat rights. He considered that the government should coordinate with the West Papuan People's Assembly as the representative of the local indigenous community.

"They (the government) have not obeyed Law Number 21 of 2001 concerning the role and authority of indigenous peoples," he said.

SOURCE: https://tirto.id/kemenkeu-support-pembahanan-ruu-pemekaran-region-papua-barat-daya-gvDC