Compared to other provinces in the western part of the country, Papua suffers a sharp gap and inequality in its economic life. Due to the lack of infrastructure and land transportation facilities, prices of commodities are extremely higher than those in the rest of the country`s provinces.
The price of cement, for instance, is about Rp800 thousand to Rp2.5 million per bag, while in Java, it is only about Rp70 thousand to Rp80 thousand per bag; gasoline can reach Rp60 thousand per litter, while in other regions, the price of the fuel oil is only approximately Rp6,500 per litter.
Hence, the government is now focusing its attention on the development in Papua, in an effort to eliminate social economic injustices. One of the efforts to build economic justice is to lay the foundation for the economic activities by developing infrastructure.
Although there is criticism in the development of the Trans-Papua Road, Jokowi is firm that the project will facilitate the economic activities and improve the welfare of the people in the country`s easternmost province. He has asked the Regional Representative Council (DPD) to support his infrastructure development program in Papua.
He has stated that infrastructure was essential for economic development.
These very basic things should be completed soon. "The Trans-Kalimanan and Tans-Papua are being built to enable smooth transportation of logistics and lower the price of basic commodities. I was depressed when I visited Wamena and Pegunungan Tengah in Papua. The price of a bag of cement there was Rp800 thousand. In certain months, when the weather would be bad, the price would rise to Rp1.5 million per bag. In certain districts, it would rise to Rp2.5 million, while the price of the commodity in Java was only about Rp70 to 80 thousand per bag. The price of gasoline outside Java could reach Rp60 thousand per liter, while in Java, it was only Rp6,500 per liter.
"Therefore, I have ordered the state-owned enterprises (SOE) minister to monitor the price, so that the price of gasoline in Papua, particularly in Central Papua, will be the same as the price in Java. We need one and a half years to realize that. This is not an economic matter but a matter of social justice for all. Now, the cement price could be lowered to nearly half, yet it would not the same as that in Java," noted Jokowi. The target can be achieved when the Trans-Papua has been completed. The cement price will be the same as that in Java when it can be transported by land and no longer require transportation by air.
(T.A014/A/KR-BSR/A/H-YH)
Reporter: Andi Abdussalam
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
