REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Infrastructure development in Papua is spread over 34 strategic development zones (WPS), a public works ministry official said here on Monday.
The head of the Regional Infrastructure Development Agency (BPIW) of the Ministry of Public Works, Hermanto Dardak, said in reply to a newsman's question that with regard to border area in Papua it is covered in WPS 34 which is between Jayapura and Merauke.
"This WPS needs road connectivity from Jayapura to Ubrub, Towa Hitam, Oksibil, Tanah Merah, Muting, Erambu and Merauke, stretching 1,105 kilometers," he said.
The border WPS is aimed at supporting defense and security as well as regional development, considering that the border zone is the front line of the Unitary State of Indonesia, he said.
He said the border zone is managed through the establishment of a border checkpoint in Skouw, development of the area around this checkpoint and setting up of basic infrastructure.
Besides Jayapura-Merauke border WPS, there are also new WPS in Papua such as WPS 31 from Sorong to Manokwari, WPS 32 from Biak to Manokwari and Bintuni and WPS 33 from Nabire, Enarotali to Wamena.
Dardak said the WPS was in line with the strategic plan of the Ministry of Public Works, namely regional infrastructure development.
"So, we focus on identifying regions that have supporting capacity and capacity to accommodate investment. Various national priority regions are focused there. We connect them and develop them," he said.
Regarding road development in Papua, he said it would be done based upon three scenarios.
The first scenario is developing Trans-Papua within WPS, second scenario is developing Trans-Papua between one and other WPS and the third scenario is developing Trans-Papua within WPS and between one and other WPS and non-Trans-Papua national road development.
Dardak said Trans-Papua road network was stretched along 4,325 kilometers, with national road length of 2,685 kilometers and non-national roads reaching 1,640 kilometers. Roads connected to each other claim 3,625 kilometers while those that have not yet been connected reach 700.2 kilometers.
"The 300 km long road between Ubrub and Oksibil has not yet been connected due to geographical condition of the region which is hilly," he said.
Dardak said he believed infrastructure development in Papua would boost economic growth in the island and eventually improve the welfare of the local communities.
