Deputy Home Affairs Minister Ribka Opens Affordable Market and MSME Exhibition in Papua to Boost Creative Economy

Deputy Home Affairs Minister (Wamendagri) Ribka Haluk opened an Affordable Market and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Exhibition at the Papua Governor’s Office complex in Jayapura on Monday. The event was held to help the community meet basic needs whilst simultaneously encouraging the strengthening of the creative economy in Papua. Ribka stated that Papua’s flagship products, such as coffee, honey, sago and its various processed goods, as well as virgin coconut oil, demonstrate that creativity and added value can grow from the community’s productive economy. She also expressed appreciation for the high level of public enthusiasm for the activity. “On behalf of the Minister of Home Affairs, I also convey my highest appreciation and esteem to the entire community, especially the MSME participants. I heard from the Regional Secretary of Papua Province that since yesterday, for several days now, as soon as goods arrived in the morning, they were sold out,” she said. According to Ribka, this MSME festival is an implementation of President Prabowo Subianto’s grand vision in the Asta Cita, particularly in encouraging the development of creative industries and expanding quality employment opportunities. She assessed that processing Papua’s natural wealth into high-value products is a progressive step that needs continuous support. “Not a single child of the nation is left behind in development, especially those in the Papua we all love,” she added. In addition to promoting MSME development, the activity also provided various food needs at affordable prices through the support of Perum Bulog and partners, as an effort to maintain people’s purchasing power and control regional inflation. Ribka invited local governments to connect MSMEs with various national strategic programmes, such as the Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperatives, the utilisation of Village Funds, and the provision of raw materials for the Free Nutritious Meals programme. “From the Land of Papua, we show that building from the periphery and from the grassroots can move Indonesia. This is the meaning of a just and equitable state presence,” she asserted. After delivering her remarks, Ribka symbolically opened the event by striking a tifa drum and toured the exhibition area accompanied by heads of relevant regional apparatus organisations. The event was also attended by Acting Regional Secretary of Papua Province Lukas Christian Sohilait, Assistant III for General Administration of Papua Province Suzana Wanggai, Acting Head of the Manpower, Cooperatives, and MSMEs Office of Papua Province Jimmy Thesia, as well as administrators of the TP PKK and DWP of Papua Province.