In the two-day visit starting on Monday, Jokowi inaugurated projects including six power facilities in Papua and West Papua worth a total of Rp 988 billion (US$76 million).

The six facilities are the 20-megawatt (MW) Orya hydropower plant (PLTA) in Genyem; a 3.5-MW micro hydroelectric power plant in Prafi, Manokwari, West Papua; the Genyem-Waena-Jayapura 70-kilovolt 174.6-kilometer high voltage line (SUTT); the Holtekamp-Jayapura 43.4-km SUTT; the 20-MW Sentani-Waena substation; and the 20-MW Jayapura substation.

Jokowi said Papua’s geographical conditions were very tough but should not be seen as an obstacle for completing the infrastructure projects on time, and should instead be viewed as a challenge to accelerate development.

“Just now, I spoke with the [state electricity firm] PLN president director and he said the electrification program across Papua and West Papua would be completed by 2020. I said ‘don’t make it too long’; if possible it should be completed by 2019.

“I know the geographical conditions of Papua are very tough, but the target should still be met, not just for electricity projects but all infrastructure projects in Papua,” said Jokowi.

The inauguration was marked by Jokowi, along with Papua Governor Lukas Enembe, State-Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno and PLN president director Sofyan Basir, pressing a button at PLN’s Nendali village substation in Sentani, Jayapura, Papua.

“The two SUTT and two substation projects are the first in Papua. The operation will also save as much as Rp 161 billion in fuel annually,” said Sofyan.

Sofyan said the current total power capacity in Papua and West Papua was 294 MW and 242 MW at peak load for 521,000 customers, with an average 8 percent growth annually.

“With the completion of the projects, the power capacity in Papua and West Papua will increase twofold by 2019 and PLN is ready to make the 2020 National Games (PON) in Papua a success,” he said.

He added that PLN had to work around the clock to complete the electrification of 15 regency capitals across Papua and West Papua and to provide an adequate power supply for outer islands and border areas by 2019.

Lukas expressed his appreciation to Jokowi for making four visits to Papua, including two trips this year, since becoming president.

“President Jokowi is the first president of Indonesia who has reached interior regions of Papua. It’s [a moment of] such pride and honor for us Papuans to see Mr. President’s eagerness in developing Papua,” Lukas said.

Jokowi made his first visit to Papua during Christmas 2014, despite calls from a number of local church leaders to cancel the visit as an expression of their disappointment over the government’s slow response to a shooting in Enarotali, Paniai, in which five civilians were reportedly killed.

During the visit, Jokowi promised to develop traditional markets in the province, which still sees rampant cases of armed conflict.

At the end of December last year, Jokowi again visited Papua and West Papua provinces and marked the turn of the year to 2016.

His visits have been warmly welcomed not only by local officials, but also by informal leaders.

Papuan community leader Franzalbert Joku also expressed appreciation for Jokowi’s four visits to Papua since taking office. “We hope the situation can be maintained so Papuans can feel the greatness of the republic,” he said.

“We hope blackouts will no longer take place and PLN will further improve its services,” said Sentani resident Yunice.

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