[/media-credit] Bank of Indonesia – Jubi
Jayapura, Jubi – Hironimus Hilapok said the development of small and medium business enterprise managed by indigenous Papuans has been stagnant, while those belonging to non-Papuan entrepreneurs are growing.
According to Hilapok who’s the General Trustee of PT. Adi Karya Tbk, this current situation was applied because of non-Papuan entrepreneurs –Chinese, Javanese and Makassar descendants—have recognize the trading system since Dutch colonialism for three hundred years ago.
Meanwhile, Papuans were not familiar with modern business in their national system. Trading is new for them. Papuans were introduced with trading systems at the early of 1970es, and it is getting better in the early of millennium era.
Hilapok said this condition was very influenced to native entrepreneurs but it’s not a problem. This problem could be solved if both local and central governments and banks reform the capital provision system. The government and banks should provide a greater support to Papuans.
“Banks couldn’t provide the investment for Papuans along with non-Papuans. For those who are used to in business, having the additional capital made them grow faster, while those who are not familiar in business are not able to grow,” he said on Thursday (6/8/2015).
He further said this problem has been occurred for a long time but never been a solution. Any relevant studies to improve the trading system among Papuan entrepreneurs have never been conducted; or if the study was existed, the government never used it to develop the economic of indigenous Papuans.
The government and banks should not sustain this system. The alterations must be done for Papuans could become a master on their land through economic sustainability. Both government and banking should give more supports to indigenous Papuans.
“The government or banking shouldn’t be still. They must push Papuans to have courage. The encourage towards the weak could put them up to equal position,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Student Forum Coordinator of Papua and West Papua Development Care, Demas Wandik said Papuans could be success but there’s impression that Jakata do not give supports. Jakarta always restricts Papuans to become great entrepreneurs. “We can see there is no huge project gave to Papua entrepreneur. Papuans do not have an opportunity due to a stigma about their capability,” he said. (Mawel Benny/rom)
