VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The Papua Provincial Planning and Development Agency (Bappeda) will refine the Regional Action Plan for Food and Nutrition or the RAD-PG, which aims to strengthen food security and improve the community’s nutrition.

A public consultation on the RAD-PG has been carried out to improve the document, acting head of economic affairs at Papua Bappeda, Syahrudin Kadir, said here during the public consultation on Wednesday.

"This is to resolve food and nutrition problems in the maternal and children aspects," Kadir explained.

With an enhanced food and nutrition program targeting mothers and children, it is expected that a better generation of Papuans can be realized, he added.

He said that his agency expects the document to be a useful instrument in the formulation of the regional development plan.

“So, for the transition period, we can use this document to enrich the future direction of development policies," he added.

Meanwhile, the chief of the UNICEF Office in Papua & West Papua, Aminudin Mohammad Ramdan, said that for drafting the RAD-PG, his office worked with Papua Bappeda from the beginning—right from the preparation of the document to the public consultation.

"After this consultation, there will be a regional action plan in the form of a Papua gubernatorial decree or a regional regulation, but what is certain is that the (provincial) government will issue the RAD-PG, which will then become a reference for districts and cities to form RAD-PGs in each region," Ramdan informed.

The public consultation on the RAD-PG document took place in Jayapura City on Wednesday and was opened by Papua Province's Assistant III for General Affairs Derek Hegemur.

The RAD-PG document is also expected to help realize sustainable food security and increase the society's nutritional status in Papua.

Some local commodities, such as cassava and sago, can help people meet their daily nutritional needs, expert staff to the governor, Elsye Rumbekwan, said. (antaranews)