HOLTEKAMP BRIDGE AS THE PROOF OF GOVERNMENT LOVE AND CARE TO PAPUA By : Wilnas and Mubdi Tio Thareq

Jayapura-JI. The innauguration of Holtekamp bridge or known as Youtefa bridge which spent at least 1,8 trillion rupiah by President Joko Widodo which accompaning with several ministers such as Basuki Hadimuljono, Vice ministerJohn Wempi Wentimpo, Home Affairs minister Tito Karnavian, Transportation minister Budi Karya Sumadi, the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief, Budi Gunawan and Papua’s Governor Lukas Enembe in Papua was proofed that how biggest love and cares from the Indonesia government under Joko Widodo and KH. Ma’ruf Amin administration to Papua, and those is reflecting the spirit that “Indonesia is Papua and Papua is Indonesia”.
The development of Holtekamp bridge juga also showing the strong commitment from President Joko Widodo to develop Papua. Indeed, Papua’s geography landscape is too difficult to spur and to boost infrastructure development in Papua, so Papua’s development still needs more time regarding that naturally “taken for granted” such as the Central Mountain territory likes Puncak Jaya, Puncak Lani Jaya, Nduga, Yahukimo, Waniai, Intan Jaya, Dogiyai, and Mimika. President Jokowi deeply understand about Papua’s problem related to the distribution of development achievement and welfare, because that President Jokowi will continue Papua’s infrastructure development.
Essentially and trully Papuan people has enjoyed all of the development result/progress. Many pundits have optimized that Papuan people will patient regarding government efforts to leverage Papua’s welfare, eventhough in Papua there is security encroachment from an illegal armed forces or separatist movement groups which they have been defiancing to the central government.
Holtekamp bridge which its lenght reach approximately 1,6 Km was built since 2015. During its development period, Holtekamp bridges has recorded at Museum Rekor Indonesia. This bridge is called as New Icon of Papua which has directly connected between Jayapura with state border zone in Skouw.
Meanwhile , Vice minister of public works affairs John Wempi Wetimpo hopes all of stakeholders in Papua to maintain this bridges. Wempi said the development of New Icon of Papua is shown one of government strong commitment and political will to develop infrastructure in the Eastern Indonesia regions.

Boosting economic development and tourist destination

The development of Holtekamp or Youtefa bridge has shown that these project had been started by President Joko Widodo since his first tenures. For Papuan people, with building this bridges hope its could boost local development program and those bridge can attract tourist destination several bridges arround Indonesia likes Ampera bridges in Palembang, Barelang (Batam-Rempang-Galang) bridge in Batam, Suramadu bridge in Madura-East Java, and Leighton bridge in Pekanbaru, Riau.
Basically, through Holtekamp or Youtefa bridges, central government hopes an isolated and disadvantaged regions in Papua could be erased and indeed it can make the mobility of an economic wheels and society activities in Papua does not bother with unproper infrastructure conditions and those bridge can raise “national pride” because this bridge has connected Papua and Papua Nuguinea.
Last but not least this bridge can give positive signal and literacy to global community that masyarakat Indonesia love Papua and Papua love Indonesia too. Hopefully.
*) The writer is Papua’s problems observer.