Jakarta – Commission II of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPR RI) is urging the Ministry of Home Affairs to relax its budget efficiency policy, especially for the Papua region. This push comes amidst the urgent need for human resource (HR) and infrastructure development in the new provinces resulting from regional division.
Member of Commission II DPR RI, Taufan Pawe, emphasized the importance of adequate budget allocation for programs aimed at increasing the capacity of the Papuan people. “Our brothers and sisters in Papua need refreshing knowledge and social insights,” Taufan stated in a written statement received in Jakarta on Sunday. According to him, activities such as training and workshops are still highly relevant and necessary to support HR development in the region.
The relaxation of budget efficiency, Taufan continued, is crucial in line with the establishment of New Autonomous Regions (DOB) in Papua. He cited the situation faced by Southwest Papua Province, one of the newly formed DOBs, as an example. Although the distribution of Special Autonomy (Otsus) funds in 2024 reached Rp1.86 trillion and was fully disbursed, the allocation of Otsus funds for 2025 is actually experiencing a decrease to Rp1.56 trillion.
Taufan reminded that several DOB provinces in Papua were only established in December 2022, based on Law Number 2 of 2021 concerning the Second Amendment to Law No. 21 of 2001 concerning Special Autonomy for Papua Province. This law, which originated from academic studies, should also have considered the state’s capacity to provide financial support through Otsus Funds.
Therefore, Taufan believes that the regional division needs to be strengthened with adequate budget assistance from the State Budget (APBN). In addition to HR development, other urgent needs in the Papua DOBs include infrastructure development and the improvement of public service functions.
“Now, for all these instruments, there is no other choice but for the central government to pay attention to revenue-sharing funds and so on,” Taufan asserted, emphasizing the need for serious attention from the central government regarding the budget needs in these new regions.
