House Commission II targets the approval of three new autonomous region (DOB) Bills related to the expansion of Papua Province before June 2022.
Ahead of the planned expansion in the near future, the income of residents in regencies/cities in Papua Province is still very uneven.
According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), without considering the regional gross domestic product (GRDP) from mining, the average income of residents in Jayapura Regency in 2021 reached Rp100.63 million per capita per year, the highest compared to other regencies/cities in Papua Province.
Meanwhile, the per capita income of most other regencies/cities in Papua Province is below the national average, which is less than Rp62.2 million per capita per year.
There are even a number of regencies/cities with income below Rp10 million per capita per year, as shown in the graph.
The lowest position is recorded in Puncak Jaya Regency, namely Rp6.1 million per capita per year. This means that the average income of residents in this regency is only around Rp500,000 per month, and its proportion is only about 6% of the income of residents in Jayapura Regency.
The high disparity in residents' income in Papua Province indicates uneven economic development and has the potential to become an obstacle to the Papua expansion plan.
Previously, in early April 2022, the DPR's Legislation Body had approved three Bills related to the New Autonomous Region (DOB) of Papua as an initiative from the DPR.
These three Bills are the Bill on the Formation of South Papua Province, the Bill on the Formation of Central Papua Province, and the Bill on the Formation of Central Mountainous Papua Province.
If the expansion is carried out, the current Papua Province will be divided into 4 provinces, namely:
1. Papua Province consists of:
* Jayapura Regency
* Jayapura City
* Sarmi
* Waropen
* Keerom
* Mamberamo Raya
* Supiori
* Biak Numfor
* Yapen Islands
* Bintang Mountains
2. South Papua Province (Ha Anim) consists of:
* Boven Digoel
* Merauke
* Mappi
* Asmat
3. Central Papua Province (Meepago) consists of:
* Mimika
* Deiyai
* Paniai
* Puncak
* Dogiyai
* Intan Jaya
4. Central Mountainous Papua Province consists of:
* Nabire
* Jayawijaya
* Central Mamberamo
* Yalimo
* Nduga
* Lanny Jaya
* Yahukimo
* Tolikara
* Puncak Jaya
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