Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Papua Acting Governor Syamsul Arief Rivai has denied allegations the province`s special autonomy had failed to bring progress for its people.

"Papua`s special autonomy has not failed," he said here citing data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) showing improvements in Papua`s economic conditions in past ten years and a district reduction in the region`s poverty level.

"I believe in the statistical data because BPS is an official agency assigned to give standard measurements. So, what is the basis used by those who say that the implementation of the special autonomy law in Papua has failed," he said.

He said BPS had sent workers to the villages to collect data and therefore the government would stick to those data as its reference.

There were indicators and operations that had been used to make decisions with regard to welfare improvements. For that purpose the government would only use accurate data as its reference, he said.

"The government will not refer to unclear information collected through monitoring from afar. To make a conclusion on welfare improvement there are indicators and certain operations that have to be used. If there are other data for comparison let us sit and see how they have been collected," he said.

He said to collect accurate data the government had set up a Development Data Forum which was launched on Wednesday.

He said all units of regional apparatus (SKPD) had to conduct coordination and synchronization of basic development data to build common perception and data for use as a basis for development planning, implementation, supervision and control.

He said SKPDs also had to make communication breakthroughs and coordination the management of data vertically with district-level SKPDs and ministries concerned to create integration in the management and updating of data.

"It is hoped the data forum will open the minds and hearts of all administrators so that every plan is based on data," he said.

Rivai hoped with the data forum all key problems and challenges could be solved and all parties could work better for the people.

"I believe we still have strong foundation for starting to materialize the ideal of a new Papua which is peaceful, secure, just and prosperous," he said.(*)

Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
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