Vice President: Expansion of Provinces is Still a Moratorium Except Papua

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin (central), Governor of West Kalimantan Sutarmidji (right) and Chairman of MPW ISMI West Kalimantan Sukiryanto and Chairman of MPP ISMI Ilham Akbar Habibie while attending the 14th ISMI Silabis in Pontianak City, West Kalimantan, Wednesday. (Photo BETWEEN ANTARA/Andilala)

PONTIANAK - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin stated that the division of provinces or districts until now was still a moratorium, except in Papua.

"So for the division of provinces and regencies there is still a moratorium, and those who ask for it are not only in the province, but hundreds of regencies and cities have also asked for expansion", said Ma'ruf Amin during a working visit to attend the 14th Indonesian Muslim Merchants Association (ISMI) Business Gathering in Pontianak, reported by ANTARA on Wednesday, November 23.

The vice president explained that the government is currently conducting an evaluation related to regional expansion, both at the provincial and district levels.

"This was done because what was once expanded, it turned out that the original income did not support it", he said.

Ma'ruf emphasized that the expansion was carried out except for Papua because the province was very important. After all, it was too broad to accelerate the welfare of the local community.

In addition, the vice president said that the division of Papua was also aimed at controlling security so that the division of provinces in Papua which once now became four, for example, West Papua into two provinces.

Previously, the Governor of West Kalimantan, Sutarmidji stated that the West Kalimantan Provincial Government had prepared facilities for the plan for the expansion of the Kapuas Raya Province starting from assets, budget, land, to operations for the expansion of the Kapuas Raya Province which would later be formed.

"This is so that West Kalimantan can become a model for other regions so as not to cause unresolved problems after many years of division", he said.

Sutarmidji also explained that politically he did not benefit from cutting the territory, but for him, it was in the public interest.

“There is no regional leader who wants his territory to be cut off. But for me, this is in the interests of the people of West Kalimantan and Kapuas Raya and I also want this expansion, to accelerate the welfare of the people", explained Sutarmidji.

In addition to accelerating the welfare of the people in West Kalimantan and Kapuas Raya, Sutarmidji also added that the establishment of a province also facilitates the government in preventing forest and land fires and preventing drug smuggling.

"This West Kalimantan border area is very wide and it is difficult for us to control or prevent drug smuggling. Handling and monitoring forest and land fires is also difficult because their reach is very wide. Not to mention the poverty rate is still quite high at 7.24 percent, and hopefully in the next 3-4 years In the future, the poverty rate will be five percent", said Sutarmidji.