papua.chronicle. – Jakarta. Vice Minister of Home Affairs Ribka Haluk emphasized that proposals for village expansion, as an effort to improve the welfare of the people of Arfak Mountains Regency, West Papua, must comply with laws and regulations.
Ribka made this statement during an audience with Arfak Mountains Regent Dominggus Saiba at the Ministry of Home Affairs Headquarters in Jakarta, Wednesday (8/20/2025).
Ribka explained that the Ministry of Home Affairs is committed to following up on aspirations from the regions. The Ministry of Home Affairs will process every village expansion proposal in accordance with applicable regulations, namely Law Number 6 of 2014 concerning Villages and Minister of Home Affairs Regulation (Permendagri) Number 1 of 2017 concerning Village Management.
“We will discuss the responsibilities of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the responsibility of the Arfak Mountains Regency Government together, because the hierarchy starts from the regency and then goes up to the province, and there are requirements that must be met,” she said.
She added that verification is crucial because the assignment of village codes is related to various aspects, from population administration to regional planning. The Ministry of Home Affairs will be careful in its work, while ensuring that community aspirations are accommodated.
Ribka added that the Ministry of Home Affairs will also consider various technical and historical aspects related to the 203 villages proposed for expansion. This verification process is crucial because it concerns both governance and public services to the community.
“Our team, the Ministry of Home Affairs, already has its duties and functions. So, hopefully, we expect the directors representing the Director Generals to address this issue. Whether it has been previously registered, whether it is new or old, and whether it will be verified,” she said.
For your information, a team from the Directorate General of Village Governance Development (Pemdes) has conducted field inspections at several locations. The inspections indicate that some requirements have been met, although several administrative issues remain.
Following this hearing, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Arfak Mountains Regency Government agreed to continue strengthening coordination so that community aspirations can be realized in accordance with applicable regulations.