NABIRE, Indonesia — The Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRP) of Central Papua has affirmed its commitment to strengthening the economic independence of Indigenous Papuans (OAP) through targeted vocational training and skill-development initiatives across the province’s eight regencies.
Bekies Kogoya, S.KM., M.Kp., the Deputy Chairman III of DPRP Central Papua, expressed full support for the central government’s decentralization policy. He noted that the newly established autonomous status of Central Papua provides a strategic window to optimize local human resources and shift the long-standing community mindset away from an over-reliance on public sector employment.
“Local youths do not all have to queue up to become civil servants. Opportunities to secure a livelihood and build prosperity are vast within various independent business sectors. Through this vocational training, we aim to cultivate reliable new entrepreneurs,” Kogoya stated on Thursday, October 15, 2026.
Kogoya further underscored the necessity of close collaboration between the Central Papua Provincial Government and the legislative council to ensure adequate budgeting, physical facilities, and startup capital for training graduates.
“In the past, the main hurdles were the lack of facilities and capital. Now that they are equipped with professional skills, the government must also stand ready to facilitate access to capital and business venues. We in the council fully back this policy so that indigenous Papuan youths can become self-reliant, advance, and compete positively,” Kogoya added.
By expanding vocational education and constructing regional job training centers (BLK), local authorities aim to systematically reduce unemployment rates while establishing a sustainable economic foundation for the indigenous population of Central Papua.
