Deputy Home Affairs Minister Ensures Priority Programmes in Papua Run Optimally

Deputy Home Affairs Minister Ribka Haluk has stressed that the development of strategic infrastructure projects in Papua must proceed optimally and on schedule to provide real benefits for the community. “Infrastructure development must deliver tangible benefits to the people. The roads built must open up access, strengthen connectivity, support the agricultural and tourism sectors, and drive the local economy,” she said in a statement in Jakarta on Wednesday. The remarks were made while accompanying Deputy Public Works Minister Diana Kusumastuti during an inspection of several strategic infrastructure projects in Jayapura and Keerom regencies, Papua Province, on Tuesday. The inspection aimed to ensure that various government priority programmes, ranging from road construction, irrigation, and educational facilities to coastal protection, are running optimally. The delegation then proceeded to the Papua Youth Creative Hub to review the readiness of facilities projected to become a centre for developing creativity, innovation, and empowerment for the younger generation of Papua. From Jayapura Regency, the group travelled to Keerom Regency to inspect the construction of the Groundwater Irrigation Network in Arso XIV, part of the implementation of Presidential Instruction Number 2 of 2025 on Food Self-Sufficiency. During a dialogue with farmer groups, residents conveyed several aspirations, including the need for agricultural tools and machinery and a proposal that farming programmes based on farmer groups be made a priority. Responding to this, Haluk emphasised the importance of synergy between the central government, regional administrations, and the community in supporting national food security. “The success of the food self-sufficiency programme requires collaboration from all parties. Community aspirations must be part of the planning so that the programmes truly address needs on the ground,” she said. Still in Keerom Regency, Haluk and the delegation inspected the construction of the Warbo Road, which is part of the Presidential Instruction on Regional Roads programme. Residents expressed appreciation for the government’s commitment to improving connectivity in Papua and voiced hope that a programme for opening new rice fields could be realised soon. In response, Haluk expressed gratitude to the Public Works Ministry for continuing to accelerate infrastructure development in Tanah Papua. She also thanked President Prabowo Subianto for his commitment to promoting equitable development in Papua. “On behalf of the Minister of Home Affairs, I express appreciation to the Ministry of Public Works for its continued commitment to accelerating infrastructure development in Tanah Papua,” Haluk said. She also conveyed thanks to President Prabowo Subianto for his strong commitment and attention to Papua’s development, starting from the areas most in need, so that the benefits of development can be felt equitably by the community. Concluding the series of visits, Haluk and Diana inspected the construction of the Holtekamp coastal protection embankment. Based on the inspection results, abrasion has approached the road structure, making the acceleration of the embankment construction critical to protect strategic infrastructure in the coastal area. “We will continue to oversee the implementation of government priority programmes in Papua through close coordination with ministries, agencies, and regional governments, so that the benefits of development are truly felt by the community,” she said. The working visit is part of the government’s commitment to continue overseeing the acceleration of development in Tanah Papua through synergy across ministries, regional governments, and all stakeholders. The delegation is next scheduled to continue the working visit to Merauke Regency, South Papua Province, to inspect several other strategic infrastructure projects.