Deputy Home Minister Ribka Opens Affordable Market and SME Exhibition in Papua
Deputy Home Minister (Wamendagri) Ribka Haluk opened an Affordable Market and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (UMKM) Exhibition at the Papua Governor’s Office complex in Jayapura today. The event is designed to help the community meet basic needs while simultaneously strengthening the creative economy in Papua.
Ribka noted that Papuan flagship products such as coffee, honey, sago and its various processed forms, and virgin coconut oil demonstrate that creativity and added value can grow from the community’s productive economy. “On behalf of the Minister of Home Affairs, I also express high appreciation to the entire community, especially UMKM participants. I heard from the Acting Regional Secretary of Papua Province that since yesterday, as soon as goods arrived, they were sold out,” Ribka said in her statement on Monday (22/6/2026).
She explained that this UMKM festival is an implementation of President Prabowo Subianto’s grand vision within the Asta Cita mission, particularly in encouraging the development of the creative industry and expanding quality employment opportunities. According to Ribka, processing Papua’s natural wealth into high-value products is a step that must be continuously supported.
“No child of the nation should be left behind in development, especially those in the Papua region that we all love,” she added. The event also provided various food necessities at affordable prices through the support of Perum Bulog and its partners, serving as an effort to maintain public purchasing power and control regional inflation.
Ribka encouraged local governments (Pemda) to connect UMKM with various national strategic programmes, such as the Merah Putih Village/Sub-district Cooperatives, the utilisation of Village Funds, and the supply of raw materials for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) 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 concluded.
The event was symbolically opened with the striking of a tifa, a traditional Papuan drum. Ribka also toured the exhibition area accompanied by heads of relevant regional apparatus organisations (OPD). Also in attendance were Acting (Pj.) Regional Secretary of Papua Province Lukas Christian Sohilait, Assistant III for General Administration of Papua Province Suzana Wanggai, Acting (Plt.) Head of the Manpower, Cooperatives, and UMKM Office of Papua Province Jimmy Thesia, as well as administrators of the TP PKK and DWP of Papua Province.