"On the day I was officially installed President I already said that frontier areas may not be forgotten as they stand in the forefront areas," the president said, adding area like Skouw should be a pride for the people of Papua and for all Indonesians.
Development in border areas must give positive effect on the people especially local people, he said. Development of border areas must create economic centers, he said.
The president asked the Public Works and Housing Minister to speed up development and modern market center in Skouw to be completed in 2019.
He said the prices of consumer goods in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea are much more expensive than in Papua such as food and clothes and electronic goods.
"This is an opportunity for the people of Papua in trade with people from Papua New Guinea . Therefore, it is our duty to boost economic development on border areas," he said.
President Jokowi and the First Lady Iriana and Papua Governor Lukas Enembe and Vice Governor Klemen Tinal visited Skouw to commission a new border checkpoint in that area built Skouw since 2015. (*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
