Papua to have new regencies

JAYAPURA, Papua: The central government has agreed to increase the number of regencies in Papua from the present 14 to 30 in an effort to speed up the development process in the resource-rich province, a provincial legislator said.

The legislator, Elbi Mundoni, said the new regencies would be established within a year in Sarmi, Keroom, Waropen, Bintun, Teminabuan, Raja Ampat, Kaimana, Pegunungan Bintang, Tolikara, Kurima, Wamena, and five other areas in the current Merauke regency.

He said Jakarta had so far approved the establishment of 11 of the 16 new regencies Governor Jaap P. Salosa had proposed.

With more regencies, development programs in the province are expected to run more smoothly as it would create more job opportunities for the local populations, Elbi said. -- Antara