Province

Highland Papua

Papua – Highland Papua

Highland Papua is one of Indonesia’s most recent provinces, formed on June 30, 2022, under Law No. 16/2022, resulting from the partition of Papua province. Situated in the eastern section of the Jayawijaya Mountains, the country’s tallest mountain range, the province is bordered by Mamberamo Raya, Sarmi, Jayapura, and Keerom regencies to the north and Papua New Guinea to the east. To the south, it is bordered by Boven Digoel and Asmat regencies, while to the west, it shares borders with Puncak Jaya, Puncak, and Mimika regencies.

Boasting a land area of 108,476 square kilometers with a population of 1.4 million people, Highland Papua’s provincial capital is Wamena City, with its administrative hub located within Jayawijaya regency. The province comprises eight regencies: Jayawijaya, Lanny Jaya, Central Mamberamo, Nduga, Pegunungan Bintang, Tolikara, Yalimo, and Yahukimo.

Out of its population, followers of various faiths are represented, with the majority identifying as Christians (90.29 percent), followed by Catholics (7.61 percent), Muslims (1.92 percent), followers of indigenous beliefs (0.15 percent), and followers of other religions (0.03 percent).

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Economic

In 2023, Highland Papua's Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) stood at Rp 13.3 trillion, with no dominant sector emerging due to its status as a nascent province. In the previous year, the province’s economic growth was noted at 3.05 percent.

Amidst this economic landscape, Highland Papua's commodities play a pivotal role in shaping its emerging market dynamics. Coffee from Wamena serves as the flagship commodity of Highland Papua, complemented by a diverse range of agricultural products including sweet potato, red fruit, onion, agarwood, rubber, pineapple, and orange.

Particularly in the province’s regency of Jayawijaya, the potential for coffee cultivation is notably high, with coffee being their primary commodity. Around 120 tonnes of coffee are produced in this region. However, despite this high production, several districts within Highland Papua are facing grievances from coffee farmers regarding their inability to enhance the quality of their Arabica coffee yields.

Additionally, since the province is quite new, the Highland Papua provincial government is actively fostering the creative economy of Indigenous Papuans (OAP) by utilizing special autonomy funds. This strategic initiative aims to empower local economic actors, enabling them to compete effectively alongside other business entities. Through sustained support and investment, Highland Papua seeks to nurture indigenous entrepreneurship and bolster economic diversity, laying a solid foundation for sustainable development and inclusive growth in the province.

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Latest News

July 10, 2025

The Highland Papua Provincial Government and PT Dirgantara Indonesia (Indonesian Aerospace or IAe), a subsidiary of defense and electronics holding state-owned enterprise (SOE) PT Len Industri (DEFEND ID), are working together to reduce airfare towards Highland Papua. Their cooperation was marked with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) by Highland Papua Governor John Tabo and IAe, which was witnessed by Defense Deputy Minister Donny Ermawan.

Acting Highland Papua Transportation Office (Dishub) Head Jimmy Yoku confirmed that the MoU was signed on June 12, 2025 when met by the press in Wamena District, Jayawijaya Regency, Highland Papua on July 17, 2025.

"The cooperation agreement was made possible thanks to the Indonesian Industrial Policy Committee (KKIP)'s facilitation. [It is targeted] to help reduce airfares and inflation in the Highland Papua region," he stated.

Yoku said that the cooperation would allow IAe to start operating flights from Wamena to seven other regencies in Highland Papua using N219 aircraft.

"The N219 aircraft will soon be serving flights reaching areas in the Papua Highlands before the second week of July," he added.

Yoku explained that the N219 airplane developed by IAe can be used as both a passenger or cargo aircraft.

"This small, twin-engine airplane has 19 seats and can be used as a passenger or cargo aircraft. It is very suitable for pioneering flights in remote areas of Highland Papua," he added.

Yoku said that the Papua Provincial Government has also signed a cooperation agreement with PT Sriwijaya Air for passenger and cargo flights to and from Wamena.

"The collaboration with Sriwijaya Air, [which operates] Boeing [passenger airplanes], is to improve connectivity and reduce inflation in Highland Papua. We requested Sriwijaya Air to serve a new flight route, namely the Jakarta-Makassar-Biak-Wamena route," he concluded.

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