Prabowo Orders Papua Regions to Redirect Autonomy Funds to Public Services

Jakarta: President Prabowo Subianto has urged regional governments in Papua to stop using special autonomy funds for overseas official travel, stressing that the funds must be focused on priority development programs that directly benefit local communities.

The directive was delivered during a briefing for Papua governors and district heads at the State Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday, December 16, according to an official statement from the Presidential Secretariat.

“I ask governors and district heads to take responsibility. Do not use special autonomy funds for foreign trips,” President Prabowo said.

Questioning their commitment, he pressed regional leaders to give a firm response. “Can you do that?” he asked, prompting a unified “Yes!” from the attendees.

The President emphasized that oversight of regional governance has intensified, driven by public scrutiny and digital transparency.

“People are already smart. Everyone has a gadget. The home affairs minister must monitor this. Do not let district heads spend too much time in Jakarta,” he said.

Prabowo also reminded regional leaders that their primary responsibility is to the public they serve, noting that the central government stands ready to support local development efforts.

“You are accountable to your people. The executive committee will assist. Ministers are ready, and central government programs will be implemented,” he said.

The committee referred to is the Papua Special Autonomy Development Acceleration Executive Committee, which attended the briefing. Priority programs include free nutritious meals, Sekolah Rakyat, village cooperatives, food self-sufficiency, and energy resilience initiatives.

To ensure effective implementation, Prabowo called on Papua’s regional leaders to strengthen coordination with the executive committee and the National Development Planning Ministry in setting clear development priorities.

“It is impossible to solve everything at once, but with clear priorities, we can align them with our capabilities,” the President said.