No Longer Just Population Relocation, Transmigration Minister States Programme Enters New Era
The government is transforming the paradigm of the transmigration programme into a regional development strategy oriented towards economic growth, job creation, and attracting investment, particularly in the regions of Eastern Indonesia. This transformation is one of the government’s steps to encourage equitable development while optimising regional potential through collaboration between the central government, local governments, the business world, universities, and investors.
The Minister of Transmigration, M. Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara, stated that transmigration is no longer viewed merely as a population relocation programme, but rather as an instrument for regional development based on local potential. “Transmigration must provide real benefits to the community. When investment enters, jobs are created. When a region develops, community welfare increases. Therefore, the development of transmation areas now begins with regional needs, while the central government is present to strengthen collaboration, bring in investment, and open various development opportunities,” he said on Friday, 31 July 2026.
According to Iftitah, local governments are now the primary actors in determining the development direction of transmigration areas according to the characteristics and potential of each region. Meanwhile, the central government takes on the role of a facilitator, connecting regional needs with investment, technology, universities, the business world, and international cooperation.
As part of this strategy, the Ministry of Transmigration is also actively introducing the potential of Eastern Indonesian regions to investors. This includes a visit by the Minister of Transmigration alongside the Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia, Wang Lutong, to several transmigration areas in Papua, Maluku, and East Nusa Tenggara. The visit was conducted to open investment opportunities in various sectors beyond mining.
“We want to show the world that Eastern Indonesia has great potential in the agricultural, tourism, education, and community empowerment sectors. This potential must be linked with investors to be able to create added value, open employment, and increase the welfare of local communities,” he said.
The government’s efforts received appreciation from the Mayor of Batam, Amsakar Achmad. According to him, the new approach to the transmigration programme is capable of creating a more conducive investment climate, supported by legal certainty regarding land, the provision of housing, and cross-ministerial collaboration.