Governor Andra Soni Outlines Best Practices for Poverty Alleviation in Banten at National Forum
Governor Andra Soni of Banten spoke as a resource person on best practices for poverty alleviation at the National Forum on the Coordination of Local Government Roles in Optimising the Implementation of Poverty Alleviation and Extreme Poverty Eradication, held at the Office of the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs (Kemenko PMK) in Jakarta on Wednesday, 4 March 2026. The event, hosted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri), highlighted that poverty reduction should extend beyond social assistance toward community empowerment.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, represented by moderator Frisca Clarissa, stated that Banten was among the top performers in poverty alleviation, citing the Desa Sejahtera road-building programme Bang Andra and the Free School programme as key elements. Andra Soni opened his presentation by noting the province’s proximity to Jakarta offers advantages for development. He described how empowerment through education can have spillover effects on other sectors. “What we are doing is in line with government direction,” he said, referencing Inpres No. 8 of 2025 on Optimising the Implementation of Poverty Alleviation and Extreme Poverty Eradication as a guiding principle we must implement together.
He said that previously, attention to villages had been insufficient, with accessibility obstacles hampering progress in areas including the economy and education. Therefore, Pemprov Banten is responsible for building village roads to improve rural life infrastructure. He expressed hope that the Bang Andra programme would boost the rural economy and productivity, particularly in agriculture, and raise Banten’s Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP). Given the location and potential, he was optimistic that Banten’s GRDP would rise further. “In 2025, the Banten economy grew solidly by 5.37 percent year-on-year, with GRDP at current prices recorded at Rp936.20 trillion,” he said.
The Governor noted that the province is currently focusing on Free School for senior high schools (SMA), vocational high schools (SMK), and religious high schools (SKh). “In 2026, we will extend to Madrasah Aliyah (MA) at the high school level,” he said. He acknowledged there has been debate about MA authority. He explained that the Governor and provincial government are representatives of the central government in the region, and thus can intervene in madrasas, which fall under the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia. “We hope that BPK, auditors and others share this understanding,” he added.
On Free School, the province is currently funding 60,705 children in Banten who did not gain admission to state schools. The programme operates in partnership with 801 private schools at the SMA/SMK/SKh levels. “The budget is around Rp165 billion for one cohort, and this year’s budget will rise again,” he stated. “Prioritising the alleviation of poverty includes building village roads and providing Free School access. We hope collaboration with the central government will continue to optimise empowerment,” he concluded.
In his remarks, the Coordinating Minister for PMK, Muhaimin Iskandar (Cak Imin), noted that poverty remains a fundamental challenge, characterised by a shrinking middle class and a rising number of people at risk of poverty. “This signals that the middle-class economy is not yet solid,” he warned. He argued that economic shocks can easily push vulnerable groups into poverty, while middle-class consumption remains a key driver of growth. He also reminded attendees of Inpres No. 8 of 2025 for poverty alleviation and the targets of 0% extreme poverty by 2026 and 5% overall poverty by 2029. “In poverty alleviation programmes, social protection alone is not enough; social empowerment is needed.” He added that regional governments play a strategic role as engines of local poverty reduction, with provinces delivering successful outcomes eligible for fiscal incentives from the Ministry of Finance.
Muhaimin outlined eight steps in the policy package for community empowerment, including: extreme poverty must work, 10,000 housing units for workers, debt relief for health insurance contributions, SMK go global, the 101-night market, renovation and rehabilitation of pesantren, agrarian reform for the poor, and expedited post-disaster recovery in Aceh and Sumatra.
Panel discussions were moderated by Prisca Clarissa and featured Governor Andra Soni; Leontinus Alpha Edison, Deputy for Community Empowerment and Protection of Migrant Workers at Kemenko PMK; Niken Ariati, Secretary of the Convergence Task Force for Eradicating Extreme Poverty, and Andri Manongko of the Tsu Tji Foundation. (Adv)
Governor Andra Soni also inspected the Sukadame-Kubangkondang village road in Pandeglang under the Bang Andra programme. For 2025, the Banten RPJMD set eight targets across nine macro indicators, and the Governor remains optimistic that Banten could become a leading national tourist destination. These remarks were delivered during the 2025 World Anti-Corruption Day (Hakordia) commemoration at SMAN 1, Tangerang Regency. He reaffirmed that inclusive education is a crucial step toward ensuring justice for all. During Ramadan, all staff can continue to observe religious duties while maintaining health and productivity.