RRI.CO.ID, Nabire – Indonesia’s Vice President, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, inspected infrastructure projects in Nabire Regency, the capital of the newly established province of Central Papua, on Monday, 20 April 2026. The visit covered a relocated airport, a seaport, and an apartment complex for civil servants.

In his visit to Papua, Gibran first reviewed the development of Douw Aturure Airport on the outskirts of Nabire. It was initially located in Nabire town center, a legacy of the Dutch East Indies era, but it was relocated to a new complex nearly 12 kilometers west of the old site in 2023.

Upon arrival, Gibran was welcomed by Central Papua Governor, Meki Nawipa and related officials. He then proceeded to the airport terrace area to receive a briefing on facilities at the new airport, including the passenger terminal, cargo terminal, powerhouse, and other buildings.as quoted by the Vice Presidential Secretariat on Monday.

“After Nabire developed into a provincial capital, flight demand increased, requiring larger aircraft,” Samuel Ricky Rantelimbong, Head of Aviation/Airport Affairs at the provincial transportation agency conveyed. “The Central Papua Government has signed an MoU with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation regarding the development of this airport and is participating in its construction,” he said,

Besides, Ricky conveyed that the development has been carried out in stages, with the provincial government extending the runway from 1,600 meters to 2,500 meters. As a result, Nabire Airport can now accommodate Boeing aircraft, although several facilities still need further development.

Gibran also inspected the commercial pier at Nabire Port in Teluk Kimi District. This is to ensure its infrastructure readiness to support logistics distribution in Central Papua.

Head of the Nabire Class II Port Authority, Ewanggen Kokoya, said that berthing space at the pier is limited, making it impossible for passenger and cargo ships to dock simultaneously. He considered this issue significant as the port serves logistics needs in the surrounding areas.

“Our port mainly serves eight regencies behind us. Around 80 percent of community needs are supplied through this port,” he said. Ewanggen also highlighted the lack of trestle facilities affecting loading and unloading activities, as well as insufficient capacity to handle large containers. As a solution, he proposed extending the pier and adding supporting facilities.

Finally, the Vice President visited a civil servant apartment complex in the Central Papua Government Center area in Wanggar District. The Secretariat stated that this is part of the government’s commitment to ensuring quality housing infrastructure for public servants in eastern Indonesia.

While inspecting the units and building facilities, Gibran praised its progress, noting that it has been running well. However, he stressed that any shortcomings identified during the maintenance period must be fixed before being handed over to the Central Papua Provincial Government.

Gibran, the eldest son of former President Joko Widodo, also told Governor Meki Nawipa not to hesitate to reject the project if design defects are found. “If there are still design defects, do not accept it. This is professional work,do not accept it [if defects remain],” he said.

Head of the Central Papua Housing Agency, Meda Kilian, explained that two towers with 88 units in total have been built. Each unit is designed like a landed house and comes fully furnished, making them ready for immediate occupancy. “There are two bedrooms—a master bedroom and a children’s room—along with a kitchen, bathroom, laundry area, living room, and dining area,” Meda said.

From Nabire, Gibran continued his trip to Timika for his next agenda in Central Papua. He is scheduled to meet with local people in Timika, a town near the Grasberg mine operated by Freeport Indonesia—a joint venture between Indonesia’s MIND ID and U.S.-based Freeport-McMoRan.