Roads to Schools Funded by Central Papua Special Autonomy Funds to be Marked
The Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) has requested local governments in the Central Papua Province to provide signage on every development outcome financed by Special Autonomy (Otsus) funds, ensuring that the funding source can be identified and monitored by the public.
Sumule Tumbo, Director of Facilitation of Balancing Funds and Regional Loans at the Directorate General of Regional Financial Management, Kemendagri, stated during an online meeting held in Nabire on Wednesday that such marking is necessary so that the funding source for every development output is clearly known.
“Examples of outputs that need to be marked include the construction of roads, bridges, community health centres, schools, and classrooms that utilise Otsus Funds,” he said.
According to him, this marking is part of an effort to strengthen transparency and facilitate oversight regarding the use of Otsus Funds.
He added that the management of Otsus Funds must be carried out effectively, efficiently, transparently, and accountably, while considering fairness, propriety, and benefits for the community.
In addition to budget transparency, local governments must ensure that the use of Otsus Funds is aligned with development planning documents at both provincial and regency levels.
This alignment includes the Master Plan for Accelerated Development (RIPP), the Accelerated Development Action Plan (RAPP), the Regional Long-Term Development Plan (RPJPD), the Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD), the Regional Government Work Plan (RKPD), and the work plans of regional apparatuses.
Thus, according to Sumule, programmes financed by Otsus Funds must have a clear connection to development targets.
He noted that local governments also need to strengthen coordination between provincial and regency governments in implementing programmes according to their respective authorities.
One such area is the education sector, as the Papua Special Autonomy policy provides special attention to fulfilling educational services for Indigenous Papuans (OAP), ranging from early childhood education to higher education.
Therefore, provincial and regency governments can provide mutual financial assistance to support basic service programmes, including education for OAP.
“Provinces can provide special financial assistance to regencies to support programmes according to regional authority and needs, and vice versa,” he said.
The strengthening of Otsus Fund governance is also directed towards supporting the achievement of development targets, including the reduction of extreme poverty, the handling of stunting, and inflation control.
Sumule expressed hope that the implementation of marking would make development outcomes funded by Otsus Funds easier for the public to identify and supervise.