Papua Governor Lukas Enembe has set the province'€™s 2014 monthly minimum wage at Rp 1.9 million (US$169.10), up from the current minimum wage of Rp 1.75 million.

"It has been signed, Rp 1.9 million or up by around Rp 200,000," said Lukas in Jayapura on Thursday.

Although it had signed a decree on the new provincial minimum wage, Lukas said the Papua administration would make a study of minimum wages again because the current real value was too little compared to the prices of basic items in Papua.

"If the minimum wage is still perceived as too low, we will review it again because the cost of living in Papua is very high. Ideally, Papua'€™s minimum wage should be above Rp 2 million per month," said Lukas.

"We have to spend Rp 750,000 to rent a room in a boarding house, transportation is Rp 500,000, and food costs another Rp 500,000. We have no money left over to save," said Wati a worker in a private company in Jayapura.

To overcome the shortfall, it is commonplace for a worker in Jayapura to share a room with one or two co-workers. Wati said Papua'€™s minimum wage should be set at Rp 2.5 million per month. (ebf)