Jakarta (ANTARA) – The regional-based job opportunities program is being implemented in Papua to support and improve people’s welfare, the Manpower Ministry stated.Special Staff at the Manpower Ministry Caswiyono Rusydie Cw noted through a written statement here Saturday that the ministry has implemented the program in Bintuni Bay District, West Papua Province, since 2021. similar program is also emulated in Mimika, Central Papua, he pointed out. The program was a breakthrough by Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah to address the issue of unemployment and poverty by tapping into local potentials, he explained. “Papua’s vast natural potentials, on land, underground, seas, and underwater, are huge economic capital to pursue Papuans’ welfare,” Rusydie stated at the Regional-Based Job Opportunities Meeting in Bintuni Bay, West Papua. He noted that this program, aimed at creating job opportunities, is part of collaborative efforts involving all stakeholders, including the central government, regional government, village administration, private sector, tertiary education institutions, non-governmental organizations, and mass organizations. The meeting was attended by the ministry; Papuan regional leaders from the provincial, district, and village scopes; experts from universities; leaders of state and private companies; and more. The activity was conducted to discuss and formulate strategy to push for regional-based job opportunities in Bintuni Bay, he noted. He remarked that the program is hosted at the three areas of Merdey Mountains, Masina Coast, and Menimeri. The meeting results in commitments to improve the program further in the area. The commitments include, firstly, to push progress in a consistent and integrated manner, as the job opportunities development initiative showed good progress for a year of its implementation, he pointed out. Second, stakeholders present at the meeting agreed to continue their multisectoral collaboration and coordination in establishing a supply chain in a systematic manner for commodities, such as fruits, marine products, animal food, and regional products, as well as to host relevant programs that meet the regional business needs, he remarked. The third commitment is to push the ministry’s regional-based job opportunities program, Environment and Forestry Ministry’s social forestry program, as well as Bintuni People welfare improvement program, Rusydie stated. Fourth, the people, who are involved, agreed to follow with the program, strive to understand the issues should they emerge and hinder the program, and assist each other in the implementation, he remarked. Fifth, the stakeholders agree to formulate a strategic plan to develop regions of locals in Merdey Mountains, locals in Masina Coast, and multicultural people in Manimeri, Bintuni, in an integrated and collaborative manner, he stated. “(This) needs to be followed in an integrated manner by everyone in order to improve welfare of residents in a region,” he noted.

Source: Antara News Agency