Nabire – The Central Papua Cooperatives, MSMEs, Industry, and Trade Office (Diskopdag) has launched a strategy to strengthen the downstream sector so that indigenous Papuans are no longer mere spectators amidst the region’s economic growth.
This aligns with the Central Papua Provincial Government’s goal of empowering local businesses, enabling massive capital and production technology intervention.
As a new province, Central Papua requires an economic foundation rooted in the strength of the grassroots to face the challenges of the free market in the future.
The main focus of this program is transforming traditional businesses into industrial players with high competitiveness and national quality standards.
The provincial government views active local community involvement as key to creating social stability and regional fiscal independence.
The Head of the Central Papua Diskopdag, Norbertus Mote, emphasized that the establishment of flagship cooperatives is a priority program for 2026.
The agency targets at least one pilot cooperative in each district to act as a driving force for collective community efforts.
“So, the existence of this cooperative will function as a supporting institution that ensures the availability of raw materials and market access for local artisans,” said Norbertus in Nabire, Tuesday (February 3, 2026).
Norbertus believes that strengthening economic institutions at the grassroots level will accelerate the distribution of prosperity more evenly to remote areas.
“The target is clear: there should be at least one leading cooperative in each district that functions as a business driver,” he said.
In addition to institutional strengthening, the Central Papua Trade and Cooperatives Office is also focusing on increasing human resource (HR) capacity through various ongoing technical training programs.
Local entrepreneurs will receive intensive guidance on financial management, product packaging, and digital marketing strategies.
The Central Papua Provincial Government is also providing assistance with modern work equipment to increase efficiency and production volume for small and medium-sized industries.
This support is accompanied by the distribution of stimulus capital to stimulate the emergence of new entrepreneurs in productive sectors.
