Betel nut seller – Jubi
Jayapura, Jubi – Economic development for indigenous Papuans should be based on data, said a member of anthropology faculty at the Philosophy and Theology School of Fajar Timur Abepura, Theodorus Kossy.
He continued development without the data, would only make the government waste energy and budget without significant results. Most of Papuan people are still cultured gatherers and they will think to spend money today and tomorrow find another.
“It used to be foraging in the forest, now foraging in offices. Society just love what the government thinks on behalf of poverty, to spend a day, “said the former member of the Election Commission of Jayapura regency to Jubi in Sentani on Tuesday (02/02/2016).
He said the data is very important. Data is helping the government reach the goal accurately. If there is no clear data, groups that are not poor category also take benefit of poverty eradication budget and make the issue of poverty into a project only.
“If there is clear data, it will help to see how the poor, what kind of training is required, the amount of the required budget and the benefits the poor would get ,” he said.
Earlier, head of Planning and Regional Development (BAPEDA) Papua, Muhammad Musa’ad said Papua national poverty rate is very high, due to rising inflation, the rupiah is not stable, the prices of goods increased and purchasing power declined. “Papua affected,” he told the media in Jayapura.
He said, when measuring the development of the special autonomy policy, Papua economy thrive well in the last 15 years. The government is able to reduce the poverty rate Papua in 1999 by 54 percent to 27.5 percent figure.
He added the government will strengthen the economy in accordance with the five indigenous territories in the region of the province, Lapago , Meepago, Mamta, Saireri and Anim Ha regions.
Just a note, as released compass print, January 5, 2016, the Central Bureau of National Statistics released data on the five poorest regions in Indonesia. Papua ranks first with a score of 28.40 percent, West Papua was second with a score of 25.73, Nusa Tenggara Timur third place with a score of 22.58, Maluku ranks fourth with a score of 19.36 and, Gorontalo fifth with a score of 18 , 16. (Mawel Benny/Tina)
