In mid-September 2025, Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka embarked on a two-day working visit across Papua with a clear mission: to see, listen, and set in motion concrete steps toward improving the lives of Papuans.
On 17 September, Gibran landed at Sentani International Airport, Jayapura, where he was greeted by the Acting Governor (Pj. Gubernur) Agus Fatoni, alongside military, police, and regional leaders. The visit would run through 18 September, packed with visits, assessments, dialogues, and reflections.
Listening at School, Hospital, & Market
From markets to schools to hospitals, the Vice President set foot into places where public services touch everyday life:
- At SMP Negeri 2 Sentani, he observed the “Makan Bergizi Gratis (MBG)” program in action, interacting with students who were receiving nutritious meals.
- He visited Pangkalan Pendaratan Ikan Hamadi, engaging with fishermen and local communities about coastal economic empowerment.
- His stops included Pasar Youtefa and other traditional markets, aiming to understand the challenges and opportunities of micro-trade and commerce in the region.
- In the health sector, Gibran toured Provincial Hospital (RSUP) Vertikal Papua and Community Health Center (Puskesmas) Kampung Harapan, checking service delivery, facility conditions, and speaking with medical staff about needs and constraints.
Throughout, he was accompanied by ministers and top officials, including Vice Minister of Interior, Ribka Haluk and Vice Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Yuliot Tanjung.
The Follow-Up Commitments
Ribka Haluk, the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs pledged that central ministries would convene technical interministerial meetings to turn the Vice President’s directives and commitments into real plan and actions.
“Many things must be improved,” she said, pointing especially to education and health sectors. She also emphasized that matters like hospital infrastructure, school repairs, and better management will be dealt systematically. The goal: to ensure policies are not just announced, but implemented, monitored, and sustained.
The Visit Matters for Papua
This working visit is more than a symbolic gesture. In the context of Papua, where geography, infrastructure, and historic often challenging issues, a vice President presence will:
- brings visibility to local issues at the national level.
- places people’s daily challenges to the highest policymaker.
- anchors expectations with accountability — that central and local governments must follow through.
- sends a message of inclusion: that Papua is a part of the national development priority.
Papua’s path forward will depend not only on the sums of funding or new programs, but on sustained collaboration, local empowerment, and leadership that ensures promises into real improvements.
West Papua Now 