TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - National Democrat Party secretary general Patrice Rio Capella said that the president-elect Joko Widodo will prioritize development in eastern Indonesia.

“During the campaign period, Jokowi made Papua as the first region to visit. That was a signal,” he told Tempo on Sunday.

East Indonesia is left behind in health, education and infrastructure development. Patrice said many villages are in a poor condition, bridges are damaged and medical facilities are limited.

“East Indonesia’s health and educational infrastructure is not as good as East Java’s, so it needs more attention from the president,” he said.

Jokowi also pays more attention on Eastern Indonesia to boost economic growth. East Indonesia has always had high inflation due to expensive distribution tariff and goods production. Damaged bridges and roads have been slowing down distribution of goods in East Indonesia.

“Moreover, there are still many people in East Indonesia that live below poverty line, so it’s crucial to improve educational and health access in the region,” said Patrice.

Based on Central Statistics Agency’s data, Eastern Indonesia, which covers Sulawesi, Maluku and Papua, have 3.7 million people living below poverty line. Populations in this region make Rp360,000 every month.

RAYMUNDUS RIKANG R.W