Deputy Home Minister Ribka Urges Involvement of Indigenous Papuans to Ensure Success of 2026 Economic Census

Deputy Home Minister Ribka Haluk has urged for the involvement of more Indigenous Papuans (OAP) in the implementation of the 2026 Economic Census in Papua. She believes that a socio-cultural approach will facilitate data collection, especially in regions with complex geographical and social characteristics. “When recruiting human resources for data collection down to the district level, there must be a special policy to appoint native Papuan children so that there is no rejection,” Ribka stated during a virtual meeting with the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) on Monday, 6 July 2026. Ribka explained that the success of the census depends not only on field officers but also on full support from local governments and all stakeholders. She also emphasized the importance of updating data to accurately reflect the real conditions of community welfare in Papua. “If we continue like this, and then from year to year the data still shows Papua as poor, even though government intervention programs have been carried out, the public will perceive that the Indonesian government has made no interventions,” she asserted. The Deputy Minister expressed her appreciation for the ongoing synergy with BPS and reiterated the Ministry of Home Affairs’ commitment to providing technical support and strengthening cross-sector coordination to ensure the 2026 Economic Census produces accurate, high-quality, and accountable data.