VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated on Friday that Papua has enormous potential in the creative economy sector, citing the abundance of valuable materials in the region, which is home to Indonesia's six easternmost provinces.

He made the statement after opening the Papua Street Carnival in Jayapura, Papua Province, on Friday.

"I believe that this carnival will serve as a stimulus for the native Papuans, especially the younger generation, to start developing a sustainable creative economy industry," Jokowi noted.

He also emphasized that the street carnival required years of preparation.

"Such a festival needs to be properly designed in the hopes of producing various products, as we have seen earlier," he said, adding that the festival would be even more enchanting if held at night.

The president highlighted the tremendous potential in Papua while calling on the local provincial, district, and municipal governments to immediately take concrete steps to tap into this potential.

Earlier, during the festival's opening remarks, Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno also made a similar statement, stating that the creative economy potential in the Papuan provinces is extremely promising.

The Papua Street Carnival features over 116 parades, including the Fuu dance parade with Tifa, the Papuan drum, and the parade of seven Papuan traditional regions: Mamta/Tambi, Saereri, Doberai, Bomberai, Anim Ha, La-Pago, and Me-Pago.

The parade of traditional regions involves a five-meter-long giant replica of Tifa, with a one-meter diameter.

Uno noted that the carnival also includes a fashion parade and a display of decorative boats at Yos Sudarso Bay, drawing inspiration from Papua's flora, fauna, and culture. (Antaranews)