Timika, Papua – Vice President-elect Boediono, making his first ever visit to troubled Papua, said here on Monday that development in the region would be given special attention by the incoming administration.

"I want to get firsthand information about the real conditions in Papua, especially in the Pegunungan Tengah and border areas, so the central government can make the proper development plan for the province," Boediono told reporters during a stopover at the Mozes Kilangin airport.

Boediono said that to speed up development in Papua's remote areas, roads linking one place to another should be built.

Besides roads, he said the central government would also encourage district and municipal administrations in the province to focus on the development of the health and education sectors.

The former Bank Indonesia governor is scheduled to meet with nine district heads and Papua Governor Barnabas Suebu in the Jayawijaya town of Wamena on Tuesday and Wednesday before proceeding to Tanah Merah in Boven Digoel where he would officially open the Sue seaport.

Meanwhile, Puncak Jaya district head Lukas Enembe expressed hope that the central government would build a road from Yuguru to Abema.

The distance between Yuguru at the border of the districts of Mimika and Asmat, and Abema in Jayawijaya district, is about 140 kilometers while the route between Jayapura and Wamena is about 500 kilometers.

The construction of the road linking Jayapura and Wamena, which started in the 1980s, is yet to be completed due to the treacherous mountainous terrain.