On 8 October 2025, President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated the Executive Committee for the Acceleration of Papua Development, marking a renewed national focus on Papua’s future.
The Move
The newly formed committee is designed to support the Papua Special Autonomy Acceleration Board (BP3OKP), as mandated by the 2021 Papua Special Autonomy Law.
The move signals that Papua is no longer just a distant recipient of central programs—but a region for which the central government intends to play a more direct, coordinated, and sustained role in development.
The Leaders
At the helm of the committee is Velix Wanggai, an indigenous Papuan with deep administrative experience. He previously served as acting governor of Papua Highlands and held roles in the central government, including in transmigration, economic development, and community empowerment.
Supporting him are a diverse set of members bridging regional, military, bureaucratic, and civil society backgrounds:
- John Wempi Wetipo, former deputy home minister and ex-Central Papua gubernatorial candidate
- Ignatius Yoko Triyono, a retired three-star general
- Paulus Waterpauw, ex–Papua police chief and former acting Governor of West Papua
- Ribka Haluk, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs
- Gracia Josaphat Jobel Mambrasar, a young inspirator in education and youth development issues.
Other appointees include professionals from education, the creative economy, and local politics.
Prabowo, in his remarks, emphasized that the appointments reflect his administration’s commitment to overseeing Papua’s development more closely and effectively.
The Oversight
The new development authority ties neatly into the role assigned to Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who, under the special autonomy law, is responsible for leading BP3OKP.
Gibran has already begun groundwork in Papua—sending assessment teams to Merauke and Sorong, distributing supplies, and reviewing programs such as free nutritious meals.
The Ambitions & Challenges
The mandate is ambitious:
- To coordinate development programs across ministries, provinces, and regencies
- To monitor implementation at local levels (coastal, highland, inland, wetland zones)
- To build trust with communities and ensure the state’s presence is felt in remote corners
Yet the road is challenging. A potential overlap in authority between the newly appointed committee and the existing board led by Gibran.
Moreover, Papua’s persistent challenges—such as infrastructure gaps, human capital development, and historical disparities—demand more than a structural tweak; they require consistent follow-through, local adaptation, and strong accountability.
The Future
The establishment of this committee, led by a prominent native Papuan and backed by senior officials, is a moment charged with symbolic and practical importance. It suggests a serious shift—from viewing Papua as a periphery to treating it as integral to national ambitions. If this initiative is matched with sustained funding, local empowerment, measurable milestones, and transparent governance, it could usher in a new chapter and a better future—one in which Papua is no longer “far away from development” but “at the heart of development”.
West Papua Now 