President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called on Sunday for the completion of concept designs for several so-called mega projects in Papua, including an agribusiness and green business area, by next year, Tempointeraktif.com news portal reported.
“I hope that [the concepts] can be presented to me, as well as the Papua governor [Barnabas Suebu], near the end of December or the start of January,” he said in Jayapura.
Yudhoyono arrived in Papua on Sunday. He was scheduled to open the meeting of the national University Student Executive Body at Cenderawasih University on Monday.
He said it was his hope that the mega projects would have a major positive impact on the national and local economies.
The proposed mega projects include an integrated agribusiness zone in Merauke, a green economy zone in Embrano and Jayapura, electric power generators in Manokwari, Fak fak and Sorong, and a cement factory and a husbandry facility in West Papua.
Yudhoyono said the green economy zone should serve as a regional example of an environmentally friendly development project that could contribute to the world. He also said he hoped the projects would allow Papua and West Papua to overcome difficulties to achieve significant progress in development.
He said the government was focused on prioritizing welfare rather than security issues in Papua.
Yudhoyono, who expressed concern over the high prices of basic goods in Papua, said that the 2007 Presidential Instruction contained a special policy on accelerating development in the region by concentrating on improving welfare.
He pledged more money from the state budget to achieve the goals.
