President Jokowi: Geographical Condition in Papua is Challenge to Accelerate Development

President Jokowi inaugurated the new terminal of Wamena and Kaimana Airports in Papua, on Wednesday (30/12) afternoon

After visiting the fishing port in Merauke Regency, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, accompanied by First Lady Ibu Iriana Joko Widodo, headed to Wamena City, Papua to inaugurate new terminals of Wamena and Kaimana Airports, on Wednesday (30/12) afternoon.

In his remarks, President Jokowi said that Wamena and Kaimana Airports have a strategic position.

“Wamena and Kaimana Airports are gates connecting people in central highlands of Papua Province to people from other areas in Indonesia,” the President firmly said.

Currently, Wamena Airport has terminals which accomodates 282 passengers. With 2,175 meters of runway, Wamena Airport will be the second bussiest airport in Papua Province.

According to President Jokowi, the inaugurated terminals in Wamena is better than the one in Java Island. The President reminded all that the connectivities among regencies, provincies, and islands need infrastructures such as airports and sea ports. “Therefore, in the upcoming 5 years, we will focus on the infrastructures so that people’s mobility and the flow of goods will run smoothly,” the President said.

The President also asked Ministry of Transportation and Regional Governments to synergize in order to improve the service.

“Synergy is the key word to improve service to Papuan people,” President Jokowi said, adding that the people of Papua have waited for so long to feel the presence of the Government in a form of  better public services.

Related to the security in airport, President Jokowi reminded airlines to pay attention to the condition of their planes.

“There must be no compromise on the safety of passengers and flight, especially when the plane flies above the highland areas,” the President firmly said.

On the other side of his remarks, President Jokowi stressed that geographical conditions and landscape of highlands are not obstacles to perform development in Wamena and Kaimana.

On the contrary, he said that the geographical condition is the obstacle that must be faced by accelerating the construction of infrastructures including road, bridge, sea port, and airport, as well as accelerating the procurement of transportation mode, particularly in air.

President Jokowi asserted that the assumption saying it is hard to build infrastructures in Papua must not be an excuse because, when it becomes the excuse, then infrastructures in Papua will never be built.

“I believe there are solutions to every problem, including problems in the development of Papua,” the President said. (TKP/ES) (RAS/EP/YM/Naster)