Jayapura – Indonesia’s Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Yuliot Tanjung, emphasized that the government’s priority programs in Papua are designed to genuinely address the basic needs of local communities, particularly in education, health, and economic development.
“During my working visit to Papua, we found that the key aspirations of the people are achieving an educated Papua, a healthy Papua, and economic growth. These three aspects must be addressed in a concrete way,” Yuliot said in Jayapura on Wednesday (Sept 17).
He explained that to realize the vision of an educated Papua, the government will continue to improve educational infrastructure and supporting facilities to enhance the quality of human resources in the region.
“As for a healthy Papua, efforts will focus on upgrading health facilities, increasing the number of medical personnel, and improving the management of health services,” he added.
Yuliot also underlined that the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources will sustain the One Price Fuel Program as a measure to reduce Papua’s high logistical costs. This initiative is expected to equalize fuel prices across various regions in Papua, thereby easing the financial burden on communities.
Another pressing issue highlighted was access to clean water, especially in South Papua. According to Yuliot, high levels of iron and lime in the water consumed by residents have negatively affected health and even triggered kidney failure cases.
“For this reason, we will deploy technical teams to ensure access to clean water can be promptly improved,” he said.
He further stressed that all priority programs will continue to be monitored and evaluated. If there are energy business permits that fail to operate productively or provide added value, the government is prepared to revoke them and replace them with companies capable of generating employment and supporting regional economic growth.
“With the direction of the Vice President, we hope Papua can grow in a fairer, healthier, and more prosperous way,” Yuliot concluded.
Earlier, Deputy Minister Yuliot Tanjung accompanied Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, during a working visit at Gedung Negara Papua, Jayapura City, Papua, on Wednesday (Sept 17).
