New province in Indonesia – The ratification of South Papua as a new province in Indonesia is a manifestation of the desire that the accelerated development that is the hope of the local community can be implemented as soon as possible. The Law on the New Autonomous Region (DOB) for Papua, one of which is the South Papua Bill, is in accordance with the mandate and implementation of Law (UU) Article 76 Number 2 of 2021 concerning Special Autonomy (Otsus) for Papua. The existence of valid laws and regulations can certainly be a foundation, especially from a legal and political perspective, so that in the future regional government policies can be made and implemented in accordance with applicable laws without ignoring the interests of the people in South Papua.
There are challenges from special autonomy, especially regional expansion. Among other things, there is the need for adaptation and adjustment in the budget sector so that it does not swell and while waiting for the budget to be managed according to needs, the government and policy makers are able to jointly design what needs to be done in the future. The aim of regional expansion, which has existed for a long time in Indonesia, is of course clear, namely to maximize the welfare of local communities and reduce dependence on the central government. The meaning of reducing dependency is so that local communities can have a hand in determining policies directly to policy makers at the regional level who already have their own autonomy without having to wait for approval from the center. The time required will also be shorter so that new policies tailored to the needs of society will be implemented more quickly. Accelerating development is something that can be realized as a positive impact from regional expansion.
Natural resources in South Papua will be increasingly exploited as the area is declared a new province. The new rules and policies implemented will provide opportunities for the region to be able to maximize its natural resources while forming human resources that are capable, independent and competitive. Starting from providing counseling related to human resources for a long period of time or having to recruit competent human resources as a short-term solution to maximize the natural resources they have.
The hopes of ratifying South Papua as a new province in Indonesia have certainly gone through various academic study processes that take into account the conditions of the community on the ground. Accelerating development, increasing prosperity, and also utilizing resources, both natural and human, are goals that will be achieved in the long process ahead.
