Jokowi's Millennial Special Staff Introduces The Papua Development Acceleration Program, Named 'Baper'

Stafsus Billy Mambrasar and Minister of National Development Planning / Head of Bappenas Suharso Monoarfa. (Photo: Documentation of Stafsus Billy Mamrasar via setkab.go.id)

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo's Special Staff, Billy Mambrasar, introduced a program to accelerate the development of Papua and West Papua. This program is called "Baper" which stands for "Bring Change".

Billy said the Baper program would be driven by young Papuans (OAP). This is a follow-up to Presidential Instruction No.9 of 2020.

"Pak Jokowi's commitment to advancing Papua, to advancing the Papuan people, has not changed. Therefore, he issued Presidential Instruction No. 9 of 2020, which is about the Acceleration of Development in Papua and West Papua, in which Indigenous Papuans will be the main target of the program. the increase in welfare", said Billy in his statement on the Cabinet Secretariat website, Friday, April 30.

This millennial staff member explained that the Baper program is expected to help solve problems in Papua and West Papua, especially in the welfare and development of indigenous Papuans.

Billy explained, the first point of this program is to create young Papuan entrepreneurs through the construction of the Papua Youth Creative Hub and management of the training ecosystem and business capital by Inspiration Young Papua (PMI).

"This program will be directly monitored by the President and it is hoped that it will produce 100 young entrepreneurs from Papua and West Papua in the MSME sector, startups, and even the creative industry", said Billy.

Second, creating one hundred thousand Millennial Farmers which are currently being implemented in ten provinces, including Papua and West Papua.

The program from the Ministry of Agriculture is expected to produce 20 thousand farmers in the two easternmost provinces of Indonesia, and 80 thousand farmers in eight other provinces.

Third, launching the Papuan Talent Management website which contains the best talents of indigenous Papuan children.

"They will be given training on an ongoing basis and linked to job opportunities in various sectors, both the private sector and government", he said.

Fourth, build non-formal learning centers to provide access to education. Billy hopes that this learning center can acquire skills to survive that are adapted to the local context in the Papua and West Papua regions.

Fifth, launching an application and website to receive input and the best policy suggestions for all components of Papuan society, especially young people, named "Policy Bootcamp for Papua".

This website is expected to be managed by the Papua Desk, Ministry of National Development Planning / National Development Planning Agency, in direct coordination with the Presidential Staff Office of the Republic of Indonesia.

Billy hopes that the acceleration of this program will create thousands of new jobs for children of indigenous Papuans, and they will create multiple positive impacts economically in Papua and West Papua.

"The positive impacts include a decrease in the unemployment rate, a reduction in the poverty rate, and an increase in the welfare of the people of Papua and West Papua", he concluded.