Papua allocates Rp 2.6 trillion for development projects

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura, Papua

The Papuan administration has allocated Rp 2.6 trillion (US$295 million) for the funding of 848 construction projects, all of which must be completed during the remaining eight months of this fiscal year.

Of this figure, the central government contributed Rp 1.3 trillion, which will be used mostly for projects designed to improve transportation infrastructure, education, social welfare and agriculture.

The rest of the development budget will be financed out of provincial revenue, and will be used to finance 720 projects, mostly in the education, health and poverty eradication sectors.

Papua received only Rp 851 million for its development budget from the central government last year, with the rest of the budget being financed by Rp 1.25 trillion in own-source revenues.

Governor JP Salossa warned local government officials and project executives on Monday against failing to fulfill their responsibilities.

"I hope that all personnel involved in these projects will remain determined and carry out their duties, which include planning, executing, monitoring and evaluating the projects," Salossa said upon receiving the project proposals from Tribuwono Tunggal, the head of the Directorate General of Budgeting's provincial office.

He called on officials to work together as a team so as to ensure the success of the projects, which will benefit people in the resource-rich but less developed province.

Papua is home to 2.4 million mostly poorly educated people, as well as one of the world's largest gold mines.

Provincial legislative council speaker John Ibo stressed that the projects must be completed on time.

"They must be completed punctually without having to compromise on quality as it is the people who must benefit, not the project officers," Ibo said.