Papua Special Autonomy Funds to Prioritize Effectiveness, Deputy Interior Minister Urges Strict Adherence to '5T' Principles

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Ribka Haluk, emphasized that the success of managing Papua's Special Autonomy (Otsus) funds should not be measured solely by the high absorption rate of the budget. According to her, the main measure of success is the extent to which it can provide a tangible impact on the welfare of the Papuan people. This statement was made by Ribka while leading the Acceleration Meeting for the Distribution of Phase II Otsus Funds for the 2026 Fiscal Year in the Papua Region, held at the Ministry of Home Affairs office in Jakarta on Thursday (23/7). On that occasion, Ribka explained that the government continues to strengthen the governance of Otsus funds through cross-ministry and agency synergy, the development of an interoperability system, and more accountable supervision. These steps are being taken to accelerate the distribution of Phase II Otsus funds while ensuring their targeted use. According to Ribka, these efforts have received full support from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) through joint assistance and supervision with the government. This collaboration is expected to strengthen transparency and prevent deviations in the management of Otsus funds. "The management of Special Autonomy Funds is an important instrument. Therefore, together with the KPK, we are directly going to Papua, inviting all stakeholders to build a common commitment so that its governance becomes better and more accountable," said Ribka. She added that the collaboration between the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas, regional governments, and the KPK has resulted in an interoperability system that strengthens the supervision of Otsus fund management. She mentioned that the system has begun to show results with improved absorption of Otsus funds compared to previous years. However, she reiterated that the success of Otsus fund management must be measured by the benefits truly received by the Papuan people. Ribka also highlighted the significant remaining budget (SiLPA) of Otsus funds in several regions, which has the potential to be used outside its intended purpose. She asked regional governments to be more disciplined in maintaining consistency between budget planning and execution, and to implement the '5T' principles: timely, targeted, adequate amount, eligible recipient, and proper use. According to her, these steps are important to ensure that every rupiah of Otsus funds provides optimal benefits for the community. "Not only the system must be integrated, but our thoughts must also be integrated. We are undergoing a transformation, so that the governance of Special Autonomy Funds becomes more transparent, accountable, and directly impactful for the people of Papua," she asserted. Furthermore, Ribka stated that the Ministry of Home Affairs will continue to assist regional governments in strengthening the capacity of Otsus fund management apparatus, optimizing the use of population data to ensure the accuracy of beneficiary recipients, and refining the interoperability system as a control and evaluation instrument. She hopes these steps will realize transparent, accountable, sustainable, and results-oriented Otsus fund governance, so that the benefits of Special Autonomy can be tangibly felt by the people of Papua.