Infrastructure aids Banten's residents and tourists<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post in cooperation with PT Banten West Java
\nTourism Development Corporation, will be presenting weekly issues
\nover the next six months on the attractions and activities of the
\nBanten region.<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Few people may realize that they are in West
\nJava's Banten region when they arrive at or departing from
\nIndonesia via the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, the
\ncountry's major entry point for international tourists.<\/p>\n
Yes, the airport does belongs to the country's capital
\nJakarta, but it is, geographically, located in Tangerang, one of
\nthe four regencies in Banten. As a part of West Java, Banten is
\nactually quite large. It includes over two million hectares of
\nland, which is half of the West Java province. Banten's other
\nregencies are Serang, Pandeglang and Lebak.<\/p>\n
The Soekarno-Hatta airport, managed by state-owned PT Angkasa
\nPura II, is just one example of the infrastructure located or
\nconstructed in the Banten region, which is aiming to accelerate
\ndevelopment there, including the tourist industry.<\/p>\n
The Soekarno-Hatta airport is architecturally impressive. In
\n1995, it won the Aga Khan award for architecture.<\/p>\n
Situated on a 1,800-hectare site, the airport has twin runways
\nof 3,660 meters and 3,600 meters in length, each 60 meters in
\nwidth. It serves some 30 domestic and overseas airlines with a
\ntotal traffic of about 124 flights (departures and arrivals)
\ndaily.<\/p>\n
The airport was inaugurated in April 1989. Now, it can
\naccommodate up to 25 million passengers annually. The surrounding
\narea, particularly Tangerang, has become a potential area for
\ngrowth.<\/p>\n
Sea gateway<\/p>\n
In sea transportation services, Banten has the Merak port,
\nwhich is operated by the state-owned sea-crossing service firm PT
\nASDP. The port has three piers, which can accommodate about
\n20,000 people crossing the Sunda Strait -- arrivals and
\ndepartures -- from Bakauheni in Lampung, Sumatra. There are 23
\nferries operating in the port, 21 of which are owned by private
\ncompanies.<\/p>\n
Banten was the center of a trading empire in the 1600s. Early
\nmerchants from Europe and the Middle East made their way to this
\narea as the traditional sea gateway to Southeast Asia and beyond.
\nLocated on the western tip of Java, Banten was the hub of a
\ncommercial empire from the 16th century to 19th century. Business
\nin Banten during this time thrived. Traders from Britain, China,
\nIndia, the Netherlands, Portugal and Turkey arrived at the old
\nharbor in the present-day village of Karangatu, north of Banten,
\nthe coastal area where the Dutch first arrived to trade in Java.<\/p>\n
According to Soedjarwo, public relations manager for the
\nstate-owned port management company PT Pelabuhan Indonesia II,
\nBanten currently has more than 30 other ports.<\/p>\n
\"Most of these are owned by private companies in the
\nbusinesses of, among other things, propylene, oil and gas and
\ndetergent. Apart from the Merak port, there is only the Ciwandan
\nBanten harbor which serves container vessels,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the Ciwandan Banten port was targeted to obtain an ISO
\n9002 certificate later this year and to becoming a world-class
\nharbor by next year.<\/p>\n
\"It's a natural harbor with six piers totaling 451 meters in
\nlength and up to 32 meters in width, while its depth reaches 15
\nmeters,\" he said, adding that it covered a 10,497-hectare site.<\/p>\n
He said that the harbor had a 22,437-square-meter container
\nyard and a 1,500-square-meter warehouse, three piloted ships and
\nseven tugboats.<\/p>\n
\"There were 3,288 vessels served at Ciwandan Banten last year,
\nup from 3,054 in 1997. Total cargo handled reached 20.58 million
\nmetric tons in 1998, up from 19.08 million tons in the previous
\nyear,\" said Soedjarwo.<\/p>\n
The Banten region, which claims to have a wide range of
\ntourist attractions, is also a popular area for major factory and
\nindustry businesses. Access for tourists to get into the area has
\nbecome very easy since the operation of the Jakarta-Merak toll
\nroad, which includes a 26-kilometer toll linking Jakarta and
\nTangerang, a four-kilometer toll road in Ciujung and a 8.4-
\nkilometer Serang toll road. This infrastructure totals more than
\n100 kilometers, in addition to roads in general in the area.<\/p>\n
The railway service remains a favorite facility. Railway
\noperator PT Kereta Api operates an executive train, the Merak
\nJaya, and an express economy-class train, the Patas Ekonomi. The
\ntwice-daily services link Jakarta and Merak via Sudimara, Rangkas
\nBitung, Serang and Cilegon. The economy class train stops at
\nalmost all the smaller stations along the route.<\/p>\n
But, many people also prefer the toll roads. The Jakarta-Merak
\ndistance spans about 90 kilometers and it takes approximately two
\nhours by car to get to Merak from the center of the capital. The
\ndistance to Merak is only 78 kilometers from the Soekarno-Hatta
\nairport. Over 20,000 vehicles use the toll road daily.<\/p>\n
Also, some travelers are fond of more scenery and panoramic
\nroutes, particularly those in rural areas far away from major
\nroads. They will, most likely, experience a more difficult trip
\nto really enjoy safaris in remote areas having natural sights.<\/p>\n
Tour manager of Banten World travel agent, Katamsi Nurrasa,
\nsaid that the roads in the southern part of Rangkas Bitung, the
\ncapital of Lebak, were still very poor.<\/p>\n
\"There are many people who are fond of visiting the unique
\nBaduy community,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Baduy is an indigenous and private society whose
\ntraditional ritual of purification has attracted many people.
\nThere are about 4,000 Baduy people living in a territory near the
\nKendeng mountain, 40 kilometers to the south of Rangkas Bitung.<\/p>\n
Nurrasa said that the roads linking Jasinga-Rangkas Bitung and
\nBayah-Cikotok, also in Lebak, were also poor. \"It's contrary to
\nthe views where travelers can see beautiful valley scenery on the
\none side and the sea on the other.\"<\/p>\n
He said that the government had paid less attention to the
\narea's land transportation needs as well in roads linking Bayah-
\nCisolok, Pelabuhan Ratu-Cisolok, Bayah-Malimping and Muara
\nBinuangeun-Cibaliung.<\/p>\n
Many times, visitors intending to go to Ujung Kulon National
\nPark in Pandeglang have been forced to sail from Sumur to Taman
\nJaya instead of traveling by car due to poor roads, he said.<\/p>\n
The Ujung Kulon park, located on the southwestern tip of West
\nJava, is a wildlife reserve made up of a thick forest and is home
\nto the last surviving one-horn rhinos. Other wildlife in the
\nforest include wild bears, birds, deer, crocodiles, oxen,
\npanthers and snakes.<\/p>\n
Electricity<\/p>\n
The southern part of Banten is dotted with large-scale mining
\nand tourism sites. Electricity and telecommunications have, thus,
\nbecome important infrastructure projects.<\/p>\n
Muzini, of the state-owned electricity provider PT PLN in
\nBanten, said that the company operated 14 main stations in the
\nregion, located in Cilegon, Cikande and Labuan.<\/p>\n
He said that PLN Banten covered five operation areas: Cilegon,
\nCikande, Rangkas Bitung, Pandeglang and Labuan with a total
\ninstalled power of almost one million kilo-volt-amperes.<\/p>\n
The PLN Banten office has become the largest contributor, in
\nterms of income, to PLN, followed by the Bandung office, he said<\/p>\n
This has benefited villages in the areas, he said.<\/p>\n
In terms of the ratio of electrification, PLN has covered 100
\npercent of villages in Cilegon, 99 percent in Cikande, 79.66
\npercent in Rangkas Bitung, 97.83 percent in Pandeglang and 86.96
\npercent in Labuan.<\/p>\n
Muzini said the rate was low in Rangkas Bitung because PLN
\ncould not enter the Baduy community, which refuses to have
\nelectricity.<\/p>\n
The private firm PT Banten West Java Tourism Development
\nCorporation (BWJ), which is developing a 1,500-hectare Tanjung
\nLesung tourist resort, has supported the local people to having
\naccess to electricity and clean water.<\/p>\n
Tanjung Lesung is a natural peninsula bordering the Sunda
\nstrait.<\/p>\n
Chris J. Gorrill, of BWJ, said that his company has also
\ndeveloped a clinic serving guests and employees of the
\ndevelopment property as well as local people.<\/p>\n
He said that the company had also prepared a waste water
\ntreatment plan, a crucial facility for a project like Tanjung
\nLesung.<\/p>\n
He said that improving living conditions for the local people
\nhas been the company's concern.<\/p>\n
Telecommunications<\/p>\n
Telecommunications in the Banten area is partly managed by the
\nstate-owned telecommunications operator PT Telkom (Tangerang,
\nSerang and Cilegon) and privately owned PT Ariawest International
\n(Pandeglang, Rangkas Bitung, Labuan).<\/p>\n
Sukrino of Telkom Tangerang office said there was a total of
\n310,872 lines in Tangerang, Serang and Cilegon as at June this
\nyear.<\/p>\n
\"Total line in service is only 181,984, comprising 141,057 in
\nTangerang, 17,730 in Serang and 23,161 in Cilegon,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said that the Tangerang office aimed to gain an ISO 9002
\ncertificate in public phone services soon. \"We are able to
\nachieve a rate of 'fixing a disorder on the day of complaint
\nreport' of 95 percent, while successful call ratio reaches 80
\npercent,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Lawrence Chandra of Ariawest said that Ariawest covers nine
\noperational areas with a total of 16,196 lines.<\/p>\n
\"All of the offices in the operational areas have been dubbed
\nas world class operators. We're also in the process of gaining
\nISO 9002 certification,\" he said, adding that the only challenge
\nwas how to increase telephone density in the area, which was
\ncurrently about two lines per 100 people.<\/p>\n
Other services<\/p>\n
One of leading social services in Banten is the hospitals.<\/p>\n
A major addition to the area is Siloam Gleneagles Hospital in
\nthe Lippo Karawaci township, Tangerang. The hospital, the first
\nhospital in the country to involve foreign investors and to float
\nshares on the stock market, boasts of having facilities and
\ntreatments matching medical services abroad.<\/p>\n
Tangerang also has the Honoris Hospital in the Modern
\ntownship. This hospital promotes its work in stroke hemorrhagic
\nand brain tumor microsurgery, supported by sophisticated
\nfacilities including a helical CT-scan and an intensive care
\nunit.<\/p>\n
In Serang, the local authority has run the Serang hospital
\nsince 1938. Physician Sulaeman of the hospital said that it had
\nbeen fully accredited to the end of next year.<\/p>\n
He said it was named the best in hospital performance in West
\nJava in 1997\/1998 and the second best hospital nationwide last
\nyear.<\/p>\n
\"Relating to the development of the tourism industry, we have
\napplied a waste water management system in all units,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The hospital also holds regular seminars, courses and meetings
\nwith clinics run by hotels in the area for reference to medical
\nspecialization.<\/p>\n
Another leading medical facility in Banten is Krakatau Steel
\nHospital, which was opened in 1985 as part of the state-owned
\nsteelmaker PT Krakatau Steel.<\/p>\n
Hospital director Mardiana B. Kaswan, said that Krakatau Steel
\nHospital, now self-supervised, has won several provincial and
\nnational awards and has become a reference point for other
\nmedical centers in the Banten area.<\/p>\n
Krakatau Steel also has the Topaz Krakatau Music School,
\nmanaged by Topaz Music School under Yamaha of Japan.<\/p>\n
Hayati Kurnila of Topaz said the school in Banten was seeing
\npromising prospects, now teaching 217 students.<\/p>\n
\"It just opened in April last year. Some music schools even in
\nJakarta have found it difficult to get 200 students in one year,\"
\nshe said.<\/p>\n
She said that the school offered guitar and piano classes and
\nplanned to open more music classes soon when more spaces were
\navailable. (I. Christianto)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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