In a press release received here on Saturday, the province's secretariat assistant, Joko Guritno, said that the free open access along the Indonesia-PNG border in South Papua's Sota Sub-district has raised some concerns.
"We hope that the security forces in the border area can take advantage of the Yetetkun State Cross-Border Post (PLBN) in Ninati Sub-district to record every person who crosses (the border)," he added.
Meanwhile, business activities carried out by local communities at another PLBN located in Sota, Merauke District, could improve the local economy if developed well, he pointed out.
"We need to regulate that well with the PNG government," Guritno said.
The consul at the Indonesian Consulate in Vanimo, Tangkuman Alexander, said that his side also considers it necessary to improve relations between South Papua and PNG so that border issues can be handled well.
"We hope that with the cooperation between Indonesia and PNG, the people's economy in the border areas can improve," he added.
On September 30, 2024, South Papua provincial government and PNG government representatives visited Merauke district to check and handle the problems in the border area.
PNG Consul for Indonesia Geoffrey L. Wiri DMS said that there are three new areas in Indonesia that directly border PNG, one of which is Merauke.
"We made a visit to South Papua with the aim of verifying residents who are working at PT Papua Agro Lestari, which operates in Kumaaf-Ulilin, Merauke," he informed.
The visit also paid attention to children who are attending school in Sota Sub-district, he added.
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Translator: Ardiles L, Kenzu
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2024
