Papua Sagu Festival 2026 Wraps Up Successfully with 50 SMEs and Cross-Agency Collaboration

JAYAPURA, LELEMUKU.COM – The Ministry of Law (Kemenkum) of Papua Province office successfully held the Papua Sagu Festival 2026 at the courtyard of the Papua Governor's Office in Jayapura City, Papua Province, Indonesia, opening on Sunday (26/4/2026) and running for three days with participation from 50 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) drawn from various districts across the province.

The Head of Kemenkum Papua, Anthonius Ayorbaba, expressed his appreciation to Papua Governor Matius Fakhiri, Deputy Governor Aryoko Rumaropen, and all regional agency heads who supported the event. He noted that the festival demonstrated how cross-institutional synergy and collaboration could produce meaningful outcomes for the community, even under tight budget conditions.

"Through synergy and collaboration, we were able to make this happen together. This festival proves that the state is present to help the people," Ayorbaba said on Sunday (26/4/2026).

A number of major sponsors backed the event, including the Papua Provincial Government, the Jayapura City Government, Bank Indonesia Papua, Bank Papua, Bank BNI, Bank BSI, as well as various business operators and nearly all hotels in Jayapura, which contributed hotel facility vouchers.

Throughout the three-day run beginning Friday (24/4/2026), all SME booths were open free of charge at a central location in the heart of the city. Ayorbaba noted that total event costs did not exceed Rp150 million, made possible by the broad support received from multiple parties.

SME participants came from a wide range of regions, including South Sorong Regency, Merauke, Biak Numfor, Yapen Islands, and Mamberamo Raya. Ayorbaba gave particular recognition to participants from Merauke, who attended entirely at their own expense without support from their local government.

Looking ahead, Ayorbaba said his office stands ready to support the observance of Sago Day on June 21, 2026, should any party choose to initiate the event. He also plans to report the festival's success to Minister of Law Supratman Andi Agtas in Jakarta.

"Sago unites us, even as Papua Province has now been divided into six provinces," he said.

Assistant Secretary I of the Papua Provincial Secretariat, Yohanes Walilo, extended his gratitude to Kemenkum Papua for taking the initiative to organize the festival and called for it to become a recurring event across multiple occasions throughout the year.

"Our hope is that this festival does not happen just once a year. If possible, we should keep doing it at other events, because the most important thing is to bring SMEs together so they can grow their businesses, especially in developing sago," he said.

Walilo also stressed the importance of preserving Papua's sago lands, which he described as a strategic regional asset, urging that sago areas not be converted to other uses.

"We are pushing for sago lands not to be repurposed for other needs, given that Papua holds the largest sago territory in the country, particularly in South Sorong," he said. (Laura)