The Trans-Papua Highway
Project
The Trans-Papua Highway
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The stakeholders have involved the military into the project construction to reduce any security disturbance, especially on the highlands part of Papua province. Critical analysis of the project is under construction to be successful. The most important setback for the project was the lack of involvement and collaboration, commutation and consideration to the indigenous people and the Papua’s independence fighters regarding to the environmental deforestation. It caused the project takes extra time for completing.
The Papua region is part of Indonesia that half of the island of New Guinea. Papuan are diverse with cultures and over 800 languages with the population 3.486 million and the island holds one of the world’s largest and most intact tropical rainforests (Evans 2019).
The trans-Papua highway project construction is one
of the national development agendas to improve the connectivity of road
infrastructure between regions in two provinces. This is one of the largest
highway infrastructures project for Papua and West Papua provinces of
Indonesia. In 1998 the project was planned for developing road infrastructures
in Papua, but it was released by Joko Widodo in 2015 at the first election of
the president.
The project will bring so many benefits for both
provinces in term of increases in productivity that positive contribution to
the economic growth of the nation. Trans Papua highway construction also will
help to open-up the isolation and increase the socio-economic activities of the
society.
The trans-Papua highway project construction with a total length of 4,330.07 kilometres from Sorong Regency in West Papua Province to Merauke regency of Papua Province. From the total length of 4,330.07 kilometres of 12 road segments divided in two-part. Part one of four road segments in West Papua Province with a total length of 1,070 kilometres have being completed. While, part two of eight road segments in Papua province with a total length of 3,259.45 kilometres, 2345.40 kilometres length have been completed and some under construction due to conflicts between Papuan independence fighters and Indonesia soldiers in December 2018 (Trans-Papua Highway 2020).
Project stakeholder’s analysis
Stakeholders are defined as any individuals or entities who have an active stake in the project and can potentially impact either positively or negatively its outcome (Abdullah 2020). There are many stakeholders at trans Papua highway project to develop infrastructure in Papua and West Papua provinces of Indonesia, includes Indonesia soldiers, civil engineering, sub-contractors of both provinces, road users, landowners, society nearby the area’s construction.
The ministry of public works and public housing (PUPR) in Indonesia through the centre for the implementation of national roads in Papua allocated USD$415.3 million in 2016 plus $USD830 million is required for funding on the entire 4,325 kilometres of the project construction (World Highways 2015). The completed trans-Papua highway project needs to do well-planning, communicating as well as consideration of the positive and negative impact before taking an action to achieve a positive outcome of the national agenda. For example, the positive relationship and communication with all stakeholders are important to avoid negative impact on the project construction.
Project description of the trans Papua-highway
The trans- Papua road project was planned to be
completed in 2018, but it is still under construction due to a contractor
taking a lot of risks and challenges, which is an internal and the external
factor. The internal factor, for example, involved military in the project
construction. The external factor, for instance, lack of consideration of the
environment deforestation.
The lack of involvement and communication to the stakeholders such as landowners, Papua independence fighters and the local society nearby the construction were have a negative effect to the project outcome. For example, construction from Wamena - Kenyam to Mumugi 271,60 kilometres which were damaged by the shooting of 19 workers including one soldier died in December 2018. They attacked by Papua independence fighters and some of indigenous people in Nduga district of Papua Province (Press 2019). Due to by shooting of the civilian workers and one military, there were hundreds of Indonesian soldiers deployed to continue to work on the trans Papua highway said Muhammad (Press 2019).
Furthermore, Indonesia government lack of
developing human resources, education and health sectors, but they are focusing
only on developing infrastructure. That is one of the reasons Papuan indigenous
society unaccepted or unwelcome national program of developing infrastructure
in Papua. To anticipate or minimize a problem of any infrastructure development
for both provinces in Papua and West Papua. The government through the
management team have to deep planning, consideration, communication and involves
all of the stakeholders. For example, recruits the indigenous worker’s,
communicate with churches and communities’ leaders.
In addition,
to develop any infrastructure without security disturbance in the future, the
government should dialogue with indigenous people to find out a better
solution. For example, dialogue with Papua independence fighters, and the
indigenous people who want a referendum on self-determination.
Critical
analysis of the project
The trans-Papua highway infrastructure project still
under construction, but will achieve a successful outcome for both provinces,
especially for the people on the highland. The government allocated a large
amount of financial resource to the project however, project management faces
the risk and challenges especially contracting the tropical forest with the
deeper field, high mountains and big rivers.
Indonesia deploys 600 of military’s engineering force to
Nduga district for continuing construction, includes 21 of 32 bridges are still
need to build for the trans-Papua highway. They will responsible for completing
them through the mountainous jungle interior of Papua from Wamena to Merauke (Muhammad)
military spokesman for Indonesia’s (2019).
The trans-Papua highway construction will be
finishing at the end of this year and it would be a positive impact for
reducing in the prices of basic commodities and construction materials in
particular for the people on the highlands part of both provinces. The price of
materials is very expensive compares to the other part of Indonesia such as
cement and petrol because everything goes by air flight. The benefits will be
including;
- The
decline in the price of goods and services
- Significant
improves of transport connectivity for each district of both
provinces
- Improving
productivity
- Economically
and socially benefits for the society
- Growth
economic in the country
Conclusion /
Recommendations
To positive outcome of the Trans-Papua highway project
has faced with many problems and challenges. It come from the internal and
external of the project, such as lack of planning, consideration, communication
and involvement to other stakeholders. This caused a damaged by shooting of
construction workers so that the project takes an extra 2 years for completing.
However, the trans-Papua highway project infrastructure will help to open up
the isolation between regencies and help to increase the socio-economic
activities of the society of the two provinces as well as make a positive
contribution to economic growth in the country.
Recommendation for the trans-Papua highway project stakeholders especially Indonesia government which funded this project in terms of developing infrastructure in both provinces of Papua and West Papua need a deep plan, involvement, consideration, communication and understand Melanesian cultures before taking an action. Due to Papua and West Papua province are different, in term of cultures, languages and history in the past compare to the other provinces of Indonesia. The people of Papua and West Papua provinces demanding to Indonesia government is not only for developing infrastructure, but also developing human resources, health and education sector which is a major priority for them.
References
‘Trans-Papua Highway’
(2020) Wikipedia. Available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Papua_Highway
(Accessed: 12 April 2020).
Abdullah, A (2020)
‘Project Management: Principles and
Strategies INFS 2022, PowerPoint Slides, University of South Australia,
viewed 13 April 2020,<https://lo.unisa.edu.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=1908637>.
World Highways
2015, ‘Work underway on Indonesia’s Trans Papua highway’, News, 22 September, viewed 15 April 2020,<https://www.worldhighways.com/wh8/news/work-underway-indonesias-trans-papua-highway>.
Laurance, W 2019, ‘A
Highway Megaproject Tears at the Heart of New Guinea’s Rainforest’, Yale, 17 January,
Viewed 15 April 2020,<https://e360.yale.edu/features/a-highway-megaproject-tears-at-the-heart-of-papuas-rainforest>.
Evans, M 2019, ‘The
Papua Atlas: New tool tracks development on remote island, as-it-happened’,
Forest News, 18 September, viewed 14 April 2020,<https://forestsnews.cifor.org/62074/the-papua-atlas-new-tool-tracks-development-on-remote-island-as-it-happens?fnl=en>.
Press, A 2019,
‘Indonesia Sending Soldiers to Build Highway in Tense Papua’, The Diplomat, 08
March, viewed 13 April 2020,<https://thediplomat.com/2019/03/indonesia-sending-soldiers-to-build-highway-in-tense-papua/>.
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