Papua opens center to boost development

JAYAPURA: Papua governor Barnabas Suebu officially inaugurated Friday a bank-data institute designed to ensure that money allocated for development projects in the province is properly managed.

The institute, called the Knowledge Center People Driven Development, will monitor, examine, evaluate and analyze development programs to ensure successful development projects, the governor said.

The center is headed by Marcelius Rantetana and will employ experts in various fields, including education, health, infrastructure and economics.

Marcelius said the institute was currently collecting data and recruiting members and that it hoped to up-date all of its data in 2009.

He said the institute would examine obstacles faced by villages and find solutions to solve the problems.

"We hope they will find suitable programs for their villages and design better development projects in the future," Marcelius said.

He said mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia had helped establish the institute by providing facilities and experts.

The governor previously launched a village development strategy plan called Respek, which allocates development funds for villages totaling Rp 100 million (US$ 11,111) per year.--JP