Banten eyes brighter future independent of Java

Banten eyes brighter future independent of Java

By David Eyerly

JAKARTA (JP): The people of Banten, located some 80 kilometers
west of Jakarta on the western tip of Java, campaigned hard for
it, yet even they must have been in a state of shock when their
goal finally was achieved.

Disbelief in Banten and West Java would sum up the reaction to
the decision by the House of Representatives in October 2000 to
approve the bill making Banten, a former region of West Java, a
separate province.

Banten province is Indonesia's 28th first-level administrative
region. The fledgling province will be made up of four regencies
(Serang, Pandeglang, Lebak and Tangerang) and two mayoralties
(Tangerang and Cilegon). The capital will be Serang.

The new province, as mapped out in the bill, occupies 8,200
square kilometers and has a population of over nine million.

Despite the rigors of convincing the province of West Java to
allow Banten, and its revenue, to leave the fold, the really
difficult work undoubtedly lies ahead for Banten's leaders and
its people.

The task now is to make Banten an economically and socially
viable province, something which may be made even more difficult
with the enactment of regional autonomy in January 2001, leaving
the new province even further out on its own.

It is most certainly a time to sink or swim for Banten, and
the province has several lifelines it can cling to, although it
also has its share of deadweight which could pose a problem.

Education

Province-building is no doubt a difficult job that requires
extraordinary leadership and a capable populace. What Banten
province lacks, according to some experts, is an educated
workforce.

University of Indonesia economist Bambang Brodjonegoro said
Banten had to develop an educational system that would be able to
produce an educated populace. Currently, the province has only
one university, the private Tirtayasa University in Cilegon.

According to Bambang, a 1999 survey showed the majority of the
areas four-million workforce was illiterate, and about 22 percent
of the population was unemployed.

In Lebak and Pandeglang regencies, he said, about 32 percent
of workers were elementary school dropouts.

A member of the Banten regional development office said the
area had few public high schools and Islamic boarding schools, in
addition to the one university. As a result, students who wish to
pursue a higher education must travel outside of the area to
attend school.

"Parents are still reluctant to send their children to school
because of historical hatred," he claimed.

The parents view the schools to be the products of the Dutch
colonial era, and so they rather send their children to Islamic
boarding schools.

These figures and statistics certainly paint a grim picture,
and it remains to be seen if the provincial administration of
Banten will be able to provide the quality education its people
require to contribute to the development of the province.

However, Banten certainly is not beginning this newest phase
of its existence with a blank slate. Indeed, in many ways, Banten
is further developed than many provinces in the country.

Industry

Banten, strategically located near Jakarta and on the coast of
West Java, just a short hop from Sumatra, has become a hub for
the chemical industry in the country.

An official at the industry and trade ministry said Banten
offered investors several advantages: it is ideally located and
appealing to foreigners with its leisure and recreation areas.

He went even further in predicting great things for Banten.

"The business climate in Banten is more developed (than in
other industrial areas in the country). Banten also has promising
seaports. Also, the ability to socially accommodate industrial
activities is much higher in Banten. Someday, it will be able to
become like Japan or Hong Kong, which are poor in resources but
rich in intellectuals."

An executive at PT Tri Polyta Indonesia (TPI), which operates
a plant in Banten, shared his view of the advantages of operating
in the area, so ideally located near Jakarta but still far enough
removed to be able to accommodate the chemical industry.

"The raw materials for chemical-related industries include
gas, so the industries are not supposed to be located in Greater
Jakarta. Also, most of the downstream industries are located in
West Java, which means transportation costs are reasonable."

However, both men were of the opinion that the local
administration had much work to do to cement Banten's reputation
as a leading industrial area. They urged the administration to
build and foster such supporting services and businesses as
banks, which would help cut production costs for the surrounding
industries, making them more competitive internationally.

They also called for a concerted effort to improve the
infrastructure in the area, an area the local authorities already
are focusing their attention on. When discussing available
infrastructure in Banten, one must start with Soekarno-Hatta
International Airport. Though owned by Jakarta, the airport is
located in Tangerang, part of Banten province. Despite the
generally negative view of the airport, having a fully functional
international airport will certainly prove beneficial to Banten.

Located on the coast and home to numerous industries, seaports
are valuable commodities for the province, and Banten boasts its
share. There is Merak Port, with three piers and 23 ferries
carrying passengers and goods across the Sunda Strait. There also
are more than 30 seaports owned and operated by some of the
private companies operating in Banten.

State railway company PT Kereta Api operates several trains on
an extensive network that connects most of the area. The network
of toll roads connecting Banten with Jakarta has probably had the
most positive impact on the area.

Accessing Banten has become significantly easier with the
Jakarta-Merak toll road, which includes a 26-kilometer toll road
connecting Jakarta and Tangerang, a four-kilometer toll road in
Ciujung and 8.4 kilometers of toll road in Serang. While these
toll roads have made life much smoother in many parts of Banten,
once you get away from the main roads and into the rural areas of
the province, the roads can be a bone-jarring experience.

While this may not have a devastating impact on industries,
which generally are located near the main, better-maintained
roads, the vital tourist industry in Banten can be expected to
suffer if infrastructure throughout the province is not improved.

Seeing is believing

Tourism in seen by Banten as a key to the future prosperity of
the province. This is not merely wishful thinking, considering
the area boasts numerous natural attractions and historically
significant sites and artifacts, a tribute to the importance the
area played in the long history of the archipelago.

When discussing the attractions found in Banten, most people
start with Ujung Kulon National Park. A World Natural Heritage
Site, the park boasts an impressive array of flora and fauna,
including the extremely rare Javan rhinoceros.

Another attraction for animal lovers is Pulau Dua. This bird
sanctuary hosts thousands of birds from numerous species during
the breeding season.

There is also much marine life in the waters off the province,
as well as beautiful beaches for those who prefer to stay on
land, particularly around the popular Anyer, Carita and Tanjung
Lesung resort areas.

Also of interest is the Baduy village, where the Baduy
continue to live much as they have for hundreds of years. There
are also numerous historical sites in the province, from Chinese
temples and mosques to the royal graves of the sultans who ruled
Banten hundreds of years ago.

However, if tourism is to be exploited to its maximum by
Banten, obstacles like poor infrastructure and security concerns
will need to be overcome.

Purnomo SP, an official at the Banten Tourism Promotion &
Development Board, when asked about the current state of tourism
in Banten, said: "It's not too good at this time ... because of
the crisis and the security problems. We have not had problems in
Banten, but if we promote Banten, we cannot only promote Banten
but Indonesia. The destination is Soekarno-Hatta airport in
Jakarta, (so) people say oh .... "

"And the problem in Banten is an infrastructure problem. When
we go to the Baduy village, the road is very bad. And that's
still the problem in Banten."

Purnomo said the development board worked with the government
to promote tourism in the area, and sees Baten's new status as a
province as a positive step. "Tourism will get better support
from the (local) government because they will see it has a lot of
potential .... The government will concentrate on tourism."

Another man closely involved with tourism in the area, Katamsi
Nurrasa of Banten World International Tours & Travel, said he has
seen some hopeful signs recently that tourism, mirroring the
country's improving economy and security situation, was picking
up. "I see the tourists are coming, very slowly, but they are
coming. The number of tourists is increasing.

"(There are) very many local tourists, especially at the end
of the year. But from outside it is not yet like that, but they
are coming .... I met many foreigners (in Ujung Kulon) and I
asked them about the situation. I get the impression they feel
safe that they can come here ... they don't feel afraid anymore."

Banten is experiencing heady days, indeed. It separation from
West Java to become its own province, just in time for the
enactment of the regional autonomy law, has placed in its path
numerous obstacles, as well as opportunities. A school system
unable to educate properly the populace, and an infrastructure
system that can be jarring in areas are just some of its
problems.

But Banten begins this newest phase of its history with
numerous assets that point to a bright future for the area. With
the promise of increases industrial activity and tourism, the
province has a solid base on which it can begin building a future
that will benefit all of the people of Banten province.