Mimika Regent Proposes Bappenas Prioritise Inter-Regional Infrastructure Development

The Regent of Mimika, Central Papua, Johannes Rettob, has proposed to the central government, through the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), that priority be given to infrastructure development to enhance inter-regional connectivity in Papua. Speaking in Timika on Thursday, Johannes Rettob noted a significant disparity in infrastructure development between Papua and other regions in Indonesia.

“Infrastructure serves as the lifeblood that drives development in all sectors, such as economy, health, and education,” he stated. He added that the processes of development and public services in mountainous and coastal areas cannot function optimally without adequate infrastructure support.

“In other parts of Indonesia, development focuses on alleviating congestion and increasing efficiency, such as building motorways. In other regions, roads are built to establish connectivity. Here in Papua, we need roads and bridges, yet they remain unbuilt. I hope Bappess looks into this seriously,” he said.

He further explained that Mimika Regency possesses 13 airstrips, resulting in extremely high transportation costs, which makes development in the area prohibitively expensive. “Our development budget is exhausted merely by transportation costs, making it difficult to foster economic growth or provide essential services to the community,” he added.

Consequently, he hopes the central government, through the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas, will address the infrastructure issues across the entire Papua region with seriousness. “Development in Papua must focus on infrastructure first; only then can we advance health and education. Without infrastructure, how can we realise ‘Healthy Papua’ and ‘Smart Papua’?” he remarked.

These infrastructure concerns were shared by Regents from across Papua during a Strategic Dialogue with the Deputy Minister of Bappenas, held in Timika, Mimika Regency. The attending Regents expressed their hope that the central government would prioritise infrastructure to unlock inter-regional connectivity, thereby accelerating equitable development throughout Papua.