Initially dissolved in 1999 and merged with the Ministry of Village Affairs, the Ministry of Transmigration has been reinstated as an independent body under President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
Speaking on Saturday, the ministry’s Director General of Economic Development and Community Empowerment, Velix V. Wanggai, emphasized its mission to promote economic growth nationwide.
"In addition to fostering economic development, our role is to maximize the productive potential of various regions," he stated.
Wanggai highlighted that a key priority of the ministry is accelerating development in Papua.
"This ministry is committed to shaping Indonesia’s future through major development initiatives in Papua," he added.
Wanggai elaborated that they have identified promising areas in Papua, highlighting that among 153 potential transmigration regions in Indonesia, 10 are located in Papua.
"We have transmigration areas in Klamono (in Sorong) and in South Papua, including Salor and Muting," he noted.
Wanggai expressed optimism that these 10 transmigration zones would evolve into new hubs for economic growth and development in Papua.
"We have identified potential sectors, such as rubber cultivation in Muting and betel nut and sweet potato farming in Lere and Senggi (Jayapura and Keerom)," he remarked.
He stressed that sustainable development initiatives for these identified areas will be pursued collaboratively across various ministries to achieve their targets.
"We want to stress that with the establishment of this new ministry, our focus on Papua is concentrated on revitalizing existing transmigration areas," he added.
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Translator: Yudhi, Kenzu
Editor: Primayanti
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