Residents and local governments hope the central government’s attention to Papua is not limited to the Games so that equal development from the west to the east of Indonesia can be realized.
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FABIO MARIA LOPES COSTA, ADRIAN FAJRIANSYAH, M IKHSAN MAHAR, KELVIN HIANUSA
·5 minutes read
Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo
Fireworks to enliven the opening of the PON Papua 2021, seen from the side of the Youtefa Bridge, Jayapura, Papua, Saturday (2/10/2021). The national sporting event which was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic will last until October 15, 2021.
TIMIKA, KOMPAS — Some members of sporting delegations participating in the ongoing National Games (PON) seem to be struggling to come to terms with the high prices of commodities and living cost, which are indicative of lingering economic disparities between Papua and other regions amid amplified development of infrastructure in the eastern province of Indonesia.
Well aware of the situation, Shafwan Hafizah (23), a North Sumatran long jumper, went to the Games with a plentiful supply of snacks, not only to satisfy her snack cravings, but also to prepare for the inavailability of her favorite delicacy.
The athlete from Asahan, North Sumatra, said she had been worried about being unable to find it in Timika, where she is competing.
She has been proven wrong as various snacks are on sale in the area. Basic needs, such as rice and chicken, are also abundantly available. What has surprised her is that the prices are far above that in her place of origin.
One nasi bungkus (takeway food typically wrapped in paper or banana leaf) with a side dish of chicken or fish sells for IDR 30,000. In North Sumatra, it costs Rp 15,000.
“We understand why the prices here are high. This may be due to the high cost of shipping raw materials. To get here [Timika] takes a long journey,” Shafwan, who was visiting Papua for the first time, said on Thursday (7/10/2021).
She and 19 teammates were forced to buy takeaway food several times, she said, because the boxed meal they received three times a day from the Games organizing committee often came late.
“Besides, we got bored of the food from the committee. We also need more food because athletes have to eat a lot,” she said.
Bramanto Setiawan (40), a roller skate trainer with the Central Java delegation, recounted his experience when he had to dig deep into his pocket for an unusually expensive meal at a restaurant.
He ordered two pieces of fried chicken, two fried fish and iced tea. He had thought the total price was Rp 100,000. “It turned out to be Rp 400,000. The tilapia fish was almost Rp 100,000 per head! I was startled, of course. It was far higher than the prices in Java,” he said.
DOKUMENTASI HUMAS BANDARA SENTANI
Passengers at Sentani Airport, Jayapura Regency, Papua, waiting for departure on Wednesday (12/23/2020). Transportation to Papua is very costly. Tickets for flights from Jakarta to Jayapura, a 4,400-kilometer trip, range from Rp 3 million to Rp 5.5 million.
Bramanto, who hails from Semarang, has been to Papua twice, with his first trip carried out during the buildup to the Games.
It is not only commodities that are expensive, transportation to Papua is also very costly. Tickets for flights from Jakarta to Jayapura, a 4,400-kilometer trip, range from Rp 3 million to Rp 5.5 million. The fares are almost the same as for flights from Jakarta to Tokyo, which are 5,800 kilometers apart.
Specifically in relation to sports development, the high cost of transportation is seen as a serious obstacle for the Papua government to hold sports events, both national and international, in the aftermath of the Games.
Concerns have also been raised over future uptake of the sports facilities having built for the Games. Without post-Games routine events and ample financial resources allotted for arena maintenance, the sports facilities are feared to be abandoned in the future. The Games are being held at 44 venues of either national or international standard.
One indoor arena of international standard is the badminton building in Jayapura city, which is on par with those in Java in terms of quality.
“Expensive flights are an obstacle to attracting participants if the national championship is held in Jayapura,” Mimi Irawan, a technical delegate for the Games’ badminton competition, said.
KOMPAS/KOMPAS/Ferganata Indra Riatmoko
The ship\'s passengers arrived at the Port of Sorong, West Papua, Monday (7/6/2021). Sorong Port is one of the main destinations for the Sea Toll Road in the Papua region. The development of the Sea Toll Road in Papua is one of the Government\'s priority programs to reduce price disparities in eastern Indonesia as well as to improve the economy of the people in the region.
Transportation costs to Papua appeared a burden to the Banten weightlifting team which, according to coach Riska Anjani, was forced to take just one lifter to the Games. The air ticket she bought for Jakarta-Jayapura cost Rp 5 million.
"If transportation and accommodation costs were cheaper, it could increase sports development in Papua after the Games," Brata Tryana Hardjosubroto, the secretary-general of the Indonesia Rowing Association, said.
He suggested the need for a ticket waiver policy for participating in Papua.
Impeding problems
Mimika deputy regent Johannes Rettob pointed to problems in production and distribution as factors impacting escalating prices of commodities and cost of living in Timika, compared to other areas in Papua or other parts in Indonesia.
Being short of producing on its own, Timika is highly dependant on shipments from outside, especially from Java and Sulawesi.
“The distribution of goods is also still very limited. It is not balanced with the existing demand," he said.
He said the situation had gradually eased with the government having accelerated its development program on sea, land and air transportation in the last five years. The program, he said, encouraged distribution of goods to increase.
The price disparities are still there, but not like they used to be.
On the other hand, suppliers of goods were said to be no longer monopolized by one specific company so that the prices became more competitive.
“The price disparities are still there, but not like they used to be. In the past, the price of goods sent from Java could increase by 300 percent upon arrival in Timika. Now, the increase is about 50 percent," he said.
Residents and local governments hope the central government’s attention to Papua is not limited to the Games so that equal development from the west to the east of Indonesia can be realized. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has stated that the Papua Games are not an actual “competition”, but a gathering stage to share a sense of unity, togetherness, equality and justice to move forward together within the framework of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.
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