JAYAPURA – In addition to improving connectivity, Papua Governor Matius D. Fakhiri has emphasized the importance of ensuring equitable access to basic services, particularly education and healthcare, as part of efforts to accelerate improvements in the welfare of communities across Papua.

Fakhiri said the Papua Provincial Government is also continuing to promote the development of new growth centers by strengthening linkages between upstream economic activities and downstream industrial development. The initiative targets a range of sectors with significant potential, including agriculture, plantations, livestock, fisheries, tourism and the development of community-based markets.

At the same time, affirmative policies for Indigenous Papuans remain an important part of the development agenda. Fakhiri called for greater community capacity to develop leading local commodities while strengthening community institutions so that local communities can play a greater role in regional development.

“Equally important is strengthening governance and funding synergies between the central government and provincial, regency and municipal governments across Papua,” he said.

Fakhiri further noted that Papua Province has a strategic position as one of the education and economic activity centers serving communities from the other five provinces in the Papua region. This is reflected in the large number of young people from various parts of Papua who come to Jayapura to pursue their education.

For this reason, he said, support from the central government needs to be further strengthened, particularly to improve the quality of education and healthcare services and expand employment opportunities for young Papuans.

Fakhiri also stressed that the coordination meeting should not merely serve as a forum for aligning perspectives, but should produce concrete measures that can be followed up and implemented on the ground.

“We sincerely hope that this forum will not end here. What we greatly expect is the implementation of the outcomes of this coordination meeting,” he said firmly.

He noted that each region in Papua has different characteristics and development challenges. As the parent province, the Papua Provincial Government is committed to supporting accelerated development in the other five provinces, despite continuing to face limitations in regional capacity.

For this reason, he said, close cooperation with the central government through relevant ministries and agencies is essential to strengthen the capacity of regional governments. Through such collaboration, various development agendas are expected to be implemented in an integrated and effective manner while delivering broader benefits to communities.

“We hope that the provision of infrastructure and regional development will become key drivers in accelerating development across Papua,” Fakhiri said in closing.

The coordination meeting was part of efforts to strengthen collaboration between the central and regional governments in advancing more integrated, equitable and sustainable development across Papua, while considering the needs and characteristics of each region. ***