DPR Passes Law on Formation of Southwest Papua, Number of Provinces Becomes 38

The Draft Law (RUU) on the Establishment of the Southwest Papua Province has been passed into law. The ratification was carried out at the DPR Plenary Meeting at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Thursday (11/17).

"Can the Bill on the Establishment of the Southwest Papua Province be approved to be passed into law?" asked the Speaker of the DPR Puan Maharani as the leader of the DPR Plenary Meeting to the members of the council who were present.
 
"Agreed," answered the members of the council present.

The passage of the Bill on the Formation of the Southwest Papua Province will increase the number of provinces in Indonesia by one to 38. The Southwest Papua Province will have a capital city in Sorong.

Southwest Papua Province will include Sorong City, Sorong Regency, South Sorong Regency, Raja Ampat Regency, Tambrauw Regency and Mamberamo Regency.
 
Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian said the government was dividing the Southwest Papua Province because human development in the area was still lagging behind.
 
"We hope that the formation of the new province of Southwest Papua will speed up development because we can see that the human development index is indeed quite lagging behind and also has a very large area and infrastructure that still needs to be accelerated," said Tito.

Previously, the government had inaugurated three new autonomous regions (DOBs) in Papua, namely the Provinces of South Papua, Central Papua and Highlands Papua.

The inauguration was symbolically carried out by Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian on behalf of President Joko Widodo at the Ministry of Home Affairs Office, Jakarta, Friday (11/11).

The division of the three new provinces in Papua was agreed upon by the DPR and the government following the passing of three laws concerning the Provinces of South Papua, Central Papua and Highlands Papua at the end of June 2022.

SOURCE : https://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20221117111710-32-874963/dpr-sahkan-uu-pemformasian-papua-barat-daya-nomor-provinsi-jadi-38