"All provisions and equipment have to be carried by air to the project locations. Heavy equipment have to be dismantled before being loaded into helicopter," Oesman said.
Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA News) - Road construction in interior areas in Papua cost up to Rp15 billion per kilometer, an provincial official said.

The cost is especially expensive as there is no access road to the interior areas, the Papua National Road Office Oesman Marbun said.

"All provisions and equipment have to be carried by air to the project locations. Heavy equipment have to be dismantled before being loaded into helicopter," Oesman said here on Wednesday.

He said the government has been committed to bringing modernity to the interior areas by building road despite the difficult terrain.

Economic development has been lagging far behind in Papua partly because of the high cost of building infrastructure especially road to link the many small village scattered in the mountainous region.

President Joko Widodo has pledged acceleration of development of Papua during his repeated visits to the countrys easternmost region.

So far highways available in Papua are only those linking Nabire-Wagete-Enarotali, Waropko -Tanah Merah-Merauke and Wamena-Tolikara-Puncak-Puncak Jaya, Oesman Marbun said.

Security problem also hampers development in Papua with separatists still hiding in the jungles waiting for opportunity to create trouble.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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