Bella L. | Papuan Observer
The government has signaled the extension of the Papua Special Autonomy which will soon end. The plan received appreciation and support from the Papuan people because the program had provided many benefits.
Former Secretary General of the Cenderawasih Student Association, Jhon Rumbino, said that the Papua Special Autonomy which has been running for almost 20 years needs to be adjusted. Jhon said that in the context of Otsus 20 years ago it was different from the current condition. For example, with the expansion effort in West Papua.
He also assessed that the revision of the Special Autonomy Law is necessary, because in the future there is a need for close synchronization between the Central Government and Regional Governments. According to him, to answer the question whether so far the provision of special autonomy funds for Papua can be said to be effective or not, of course, an overall evaluation must be carried out. If a thorough and in-depth evaluation has never been carried out, it is difficult to judge whether the special autonomy fund can be said to be effective or not.
“Otsus Papua should have the spirit to open up space for the people in Papua to convey their aspirations. Then, get proper rights just like in other regions.”
According to him, if the central government wants significant changes, it can certainly be started from attention to good teaching staff. Because after all, Otsus needs to pay better attention to education. School facilities also need more attention.
Jhon also believes that Otsus can still be continued as long as it is under tight control by prioritizing budget transparency and the implementation of every article in the law is carried out properly.
Relevant to these aspirations, in order to ensure supervision of Papua’s Special Autonomy funds, Committee IV DPD RI encourages the government to design a special monitoring mechanism for the budget in the implementation of Otsus. This oversight is important so that the special autonomy funds reach the needy people.
Committee IV DPD RI has carried out a working visit in the context of Consideration for the Implementation of the Papua Special Autonomy Fund for 2020 and the 2021 Program. The Committee IV DPD RI group was led by the Chairperson of Committee IV H. Sukiryanto and was accompanied by Deputy Chairman Hj. Elviana, Deputy Chairman of Novita Anakotta.
Committee IV DPD RI sees that the Draft Revision of Law (RUU) Number 21 of 2001 concerning Special Autonomy for Papua which is being prepared by the government should be directed at strengthening supervision and guidance for the management of the Special Autonomy Fund to ensure its accountability.
All of these efforts demonstrate the seriousness of the Government and the Indonesian Parliament to perfect the Papua Special Autonomy Law which has been running for the last 20 years. With strict supervision and transparent management of funds, it will have a positive impact on the welfare of the Papuan people.
