Papua Forum Demands Explanation About Long Delayed Trans Irian Highway

Sentani, Papua, Nov 18 (Antara) - The Wake Papua Forum (Forum Papua Bangkit) said it suspects corruption had been the cause of the long delay in the construction of a Trans Irian highway linking the southern and north ends of the country`s most backward region. The Merauke-Wamena-Jayapura-Nabire-Sorong highway was first reported to be commissioned in 1992 by the country`s president but apparently it remains in the pipeline, Hengky Jokhu, the coordinator of Wake Papua Forum said here on Monday. "It is no longer a secret that the Balai Besar Jalan Nasional X (National Road and Bridge Bureau) the authority in road and bridge projects in Papua is rampant with corruption. Road and bridge projects financed with funds from the state budget are laden with big markup," Hengky said. The contractors for road and bridge projects in Papua have long dominated by companies from other regions. The contractors, dominated by companies from other regions, colludes with the local authorities to inflate the cost, or embezzle the budget resulting in the quality of the roads and bridge reduced to below standard, he said. Markup resulted in the cost being too expensive and the contractors and authorities always cited geographical condition, difficult terrain, security and poor quality of workers as the reasons for the expensive costs , he said. "That is always the reason they cited to cover their corrupt practices," he old Antara news agency. He also accused officials in Jakarta of having a share in corruption committed by authorities in the region . "The authorities in the regions were forced to pay certain amount to those in power in Jakarta including the legislators who acted as project brokers," he said. He said half a century has past since Papua has become part of Indonesia and so far Papua has been left poor, backward , isolated and marginalized. Papua has been victim of corrupt officials in Jakarta and Papua, he added. He said the issue of more autonomous areas in Papua planned by the central government was part of attempt to hide the scenario to divert attention of the people in Papua from alleged corruption and money laundering. He said the Wake Papua Forum urged the governor to propose to the public works ministry to immediately start restructuring within the National Road and Bridge Bureau of the Highway Construction and Maintenance Directorate General. "Restructuring and revitalization in the National Road Bureau is necessary to prevent corruption, collusion and nepotism as well as money laundering, a practice which has gone unchecked for tens of years," he said. He also called on the public works ministry to replace officials at the National Road Bureau of Papua . "A man holding the power too long would tend to commit corruption. Power tends to corrupt," he said.