Province

Southwest Papua

Papua – Southwest Papua

Southwest Papua, with its capital in the bustling city of Sorong, officially gained provincial status on November 17, 2022, through Law No. 29/2022. The province shares its borders with various neighboring regions: to the north, it adjoins the countries of the Philippines and Palau, as well as the Pacific Ocean; to the east, it borders West Papua’s regencies of Manokwari and Teluk Bintuni; to the west, it shares boundaries with the provinces of Maluku and North Maluku; and to the south, it is bordered by West Papua’s Fakfak and Kaimana regencies.

Covering a vast area of 38,820 square kilometers and home to over 600,000 individuals, Southwest Papua comprises five districts and a city, including Sorong regency, the city of Sorong itself, South Sorong regency, Maybrat regency, Tambrauw regency, and the Raja Ampat regency, known for its island paradise. Additionally, the province features a diverse range of landscapes from mountains to beaches, as well as a rich variety of cultures and wildlife.

Southwest Papua also boasts a diverse religious landscape. As of 2022, a majority of its population practices Christianity at 54.05 percent, and Catholicism at 7.16 percent. Islam also holds a significant presence in the province at 38.14 percent, while Hinduism and Buddhism each make up a smaller portion of the population with 0.1 percent each.

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Economic Description

In 2023, Southwest Papua's Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) surged to Rp 24 trillion, marking a significant milestone considering its status as a newly established province. Among the key contributing sectors, mining and quarrying emerged as a formidable player, generating Rp 3.1 trillion in GRDP. This sector, encompassing activities such as crude petroleum, natural gas, and geothermal exploration, accounted for a substantial portion of the province's overall economic output, with contributions totaling Rp 1.9 trillion.

Furthermore, the construction industry played a pivotal role in driving economic growth, contributing Rp 3 trillion to Southwest Papua's GRDP. This sector's robust performance reflects ongoing infrastructure development initiatives and investment projects across the province, signaling confidence in its prospects and development trajectory.

Additionally, the agriculture, fisheries, and forestry sectors demonstrated resilience and stability, contributing Rp 2.8 trillion to the province’s GRDP in 2023. Southwest Papua holds promise for a thriving agricultural sector, with corn, peanuts, vegetables, sago, cattle, and chicken farming identified as areas with significant growth potential in the region.

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Latest News

July 29, 2025

PT Integrasi Logistik Cipta Solusi (ILCS), a subsidiary of port state-owned enterprise (SOE) PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo), announced the implementation of Terminal Operating System (TOS) Nusantara at the Port of Sorong in Sorong City, Southwest Papua Province. The port is the 14th location to implement Nusantara TOS since the system was developed by ILCS in 2022. The initiative is part of the Pelindo Group's national strategy to build an integrated port operations platform from Western to Eastern Indonesia.

TOS Nusantara allows all container terminal processes to be digitalized, from vessel planning and yard management to real-time monitoring of loading and unloading activities. The implementation of this system has proven to significantly improve operational efficiency, reduce administrative errors, and accelerate terminal customer service.

ILCS Container Terminal Solutions General Manager Frenda Rangga Aksara stated that the implementation of TOS Nusantara at the Sorong Container Terminal is part of Pelindo's post-merger strategic initiative to digitalize port services with a single container service system.

"By using the same system from eastern regions to western ones, we hope to improve the efficiency of business operations, provide equalized service delivery, achieve a consistent user experience, as well as facilitate the usage of human resources in terms of operations, system maintenance, and support," said Frenda in a written statement on July 22, 2025.

TOS Nusantara's application at the Port of Sorong was carried out collaboratively with the fellow Pelindo subsidiary PT Pelindo Terminal Petikemas (TPK), starting with infrastructure readiness assessments, system migration, and technical training for workers in the port's operational areas. Standardization of standard operating procedures (SOPs) and change management were also enacted intensively to ensure a smooth transition and the prompt use system to support operational activities in the facility.

Pelindo TPK Sorong Container Terminal Head Welta Selfie stated that the system has had a real impact on supporting terminal operations.

"TOS Nusantara [Palapa, Parama, Praya] is excellent because it is more accurate and efficient for [recording] loading and unloading data. It can be accessed directly and includes updated features. Furthermore, the billing process has become more accurate and efficient," she said.

Pelindo TPK Sorong Container Terminal Customer Service Melina Sihombing echoed the sentiment.

"Since using TOS Nusantara, the application has become [more] user-friendly. We hope that the Sorong Container Terminal will continue to be successful with the implementation of TOS Nusantara," she said.

Pelindo and ILCS expect that TOS Nusantara's implementation will serve as a strategic foundation for supporting the integration of national logistics services, accelerating the flow of goods, and enhancing the competitiveness of Indonesia's maritime sector as a whole.

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