Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Papua province to spend 45% of budget on villages

Papua Governor Barnabas Suebu has announced that out of the province's Rp 5.3 trillion budget this year, 45 percent, or around Rp 2 trillion, will be used for development purposes in villages. The budget will also take into account the basic needs of residents, including food, health, education, housing, fresh water and infrastructure.

"In total, the funds to be distributed in Papua will reach more than Rp 2 trillion," he told Nethy Dharma Somba of The Jakarta Post in Jayapura. He said the notion of village-based development is in accordance with the spirit of the 2001 law on special autonomy in Papua to improve the welfare of Papuans.

"We should take into account that the special autonomy fund is for the people so it is natural if the biggest share is for development as most Papuans live in villages," he said. Out of Papua's Rp 5.3 trillion budget this year, Rp 3.2 trillion came from special autonomy funds.

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