The Ministry of Public Works and Housing (PUPR) is set to construct the Rp 3.3 trillion (US$202.7 million) Memberamo-Elelim road segment, a crucial part of the Trans Papua network designed to connect the capital of Papua Mountains province, Wamena, with the capital of Papua Province, Jayapura.

The project will be developed through a public-private partnership (PPP) scheme. PT Hutama Mambelim Trans Papua has been designated to undertake the construction. The investment return mechanism will use the availability payment system over a 15-year concession period until 2039.

"I am confident that with the PPP system, this road will be realized soon, reducing the high cost of goods and services in Wamena," PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said in statement quoted on Thursday, July 4, 2024.

The construction of the Memberamo-Elelim segment is targeted for completion by 2026. Consequently, Hutama Mambelim will be responsible for the road's maintenance for 13 years.

Basuki said that the road, which spans 50.14 kilometers, is part of the Jayapura-Wamena route. The project scope includes the construction of bridges, a vehicle weighing unit, slope and cliff management, as well as operation and maintenance during the service period.

The goal is to enhance the welfare of the people in Papua. The plan for this road has been in the works since the early 1980s during President Soeharto's administration.

Previously, President Joko Widodo held a limited Cabinet meeting at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on May 8, 2024, discussing development acceleration in Papua. The meeting concluded that improvements in education, health, and security in Papua as key.

Minister of National Development Planning Suharso Monoarfa said that efforts to accelerate and enhance welfare programs in Papua would be intensified. This initiative will be carried out in collaboration with Vice President Ma’ruf Amin, who chairs the Papua Special Autonomy Acceleration Steering Committee (BP3OKP).

"We are gradually implementing all welfare approaches, including education and health, with budgets already allocated to the relevant ministries and agencies," Suharso said after the meeting.

As of March 2023, the government has disbursed Rp1.036 trillion for Papua's development. This funding has improved infrastructure in Papua, including the construction of the 3,462-kilometer Trans Papua road and 1,098 kilometers of border roads. The government also built the 1.3-kilometer Youtefa Bridge in Jayapura and renovated Domine Eduard Osok Airport in Sorong.