Accompanying VP to West Papua, Deputy Home Minister Monitors Special Autonomy Fund Benefits

Deputy Home Minister (Wamendagri) Ribka Haluk accompanied Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia (Wapres RI) Gibran Rakabuming Raka on a working visit to West Papua Province. The working visit was carried out to monitor the successful utilisation of the Papua Special Autonomy (Otsus) Fund through the development of cocoa commodities that provide added economic value. Ribka stated that the development of cocoa commodities into value-added products is an example of the Papua Otsus Fund being implemented on target and providing benefits to the community. She conveyed this during an inspection of a cocoa factory in Ransiki District, South Manokwari Regency, West Papua, on Saturday (20/6). “Today I accompanied the Vice President on a visit here. This is the result of good Otsus fund implementation,” said Ribka in a written statement on Sunday (21/6/2026). According to her, the success of Otsus must be proven through programmes that target community welfare while simultaneously strengthening the role of indigenous Papuans (OAP) in regional development. “The proof of good Otsus fund usage is when the community directly feels the benefits. We are not just talking about the budget, but how that budget can empower indigenous Papuans and drive the regional economy,” she explained. Ribka stated that the government is striving to strengthen productive sectors that prioritise local potential to improve community welfare sustainably. “Through cocoa development from upstream to downstream like this, we want to ensure that the added economic value is enjoyed by the Papuan people themselves. This is the true spirit of special autonomy. The government will continue to listen to the aspirations of the people and support the development of leading commodities that can improve the welfare of indigenous Papuans,” she added. The working visit is considered a manifestation of the government’s commitment to ensuring the effective and targeted implementation of Papua’s Special Autonomy, as well as encouraging the development of leading sectors according to regional potential so that the benefits of development are felt by the Papuan people, particularly indigenous Papuans (OAP).