The Vice President was on his way to where he stays. He stopped for a while to talk with the women areca palm fruit merchantsJakarta (ANTARA) - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin spoke with areca palm fruit sellers at the West Papua province Office Complex, Manokwari city, West Papua on Thursday.
The impromptu conversation happened after the Vice President led a coordination meeting at the West Papua Governor's Office, head of the Press, Media, and Information Bureau of the Vice President Secretariat (BPMI Setwapres), Rusmin Nuryadin, informed.
"The Vice President was on his way to where he stays. He stopped for a while to talk with the women areca palm fruit merchants," Nuryadin said when Antara contacted him.
After hearing some of the merchants' expectations, Amin gave them some money and then continued on his way.
Related news: West Papua government should resolve extreme poverty by 2021-end: Amin
"Yes, the Vice President also gave assistance to the merchants there, as a form of his attention to the people in West Papua," Nuryadin, who accompanied Amin on the working visit to West Papua, informed.
Meanwhile, in a video shared by BPMI Setwapres, an areca nut seller named Mama Popi expressed her aspiration that mama-mama or women merchants can have a hut where they can trade properly.
"(We hope) the Vice President has a policy from the central, provincial, and district governments to build a trading hut. It does not have to be elite or permanent, as long as we can sit and sell," Mama Popi, who sells areca nuts and avocados, said.
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Amin responded to Mama Popi's request by nodding his head as well as motivating the community to trade and improve the local economy.
On Wednesday (October 13, 2021), Amin embarked on a working visit to Maluku, West Papua, Papua, and East Nusa Tenggara. The visit will come to an end this weekend (October 16, 2021).
According to the schedule for the visit, Amin will hold a dialogue with religious organization leaders at the West Papua Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) office and the Paulus Sowi Indonesian Christian Church (GKI).
Furthermore, on Friday (October 15, 2021), the Vice President will head to Papua province to close the PON National Games and lead a coordination meeting at the Papua Governor's Office.
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Translator: Fransiska N, Kenzu T
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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