Regent Ismet vows to improve public welfare in Tangerang

Regent Ismet vows to improve public welfare in Tangerang

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang, Banten

Tangerang's newly elected regent Ismet Iskandar is no stranger
to most residents of Tangerang on account of his good track
record in the bureaucracy, and social, religious and sporting
organizations in the regency.

So, it was no wonder that the smiling, tall and fair
complexioned Ismet received a lot of support from local people
after he was nominated by the National Awakening Party (PAN) and
the Nahdlatul Ummat Party (NU) factions as one of 25 regental
candidates selected early this year to contest the regental
election for the 2003-2008 period.

During the election on Feb. 27, Ismet managed to get 23 of the
43 votes and won the regental election. On March 22, he was sworn
in and took over from his predecessor, Agus Djunara, a military
officer.

Born in 1948 in Rangkas Bitung, Banten, as the second child of
a family of 11 children, Ismet started his career in 1972 as a
public order officer in Ciputat, Tangerang, soon after he
graduated from the APDN College of Administration.

After serving as subdistrict chief in a number of subdistricts
and completing his studies at the Institute of Governmental
Science (IIP) in 1989, he was then successively appointed the
regency administration spokesman, administration assistant and
administration secretary in 1999.

In a vision-and-mission speech he delivered as part of the
election process, Ismet promised to exploit all the potential
that was available in the agricultural, marine, and trade and
industrial sectors in all districts.

Ismet, who is the first civilian to become Tangerang regent
since 1966, pointed out that in order to increase agribusiness
growth, he would develop productive agricultural areas and
harness the potential of the sea.

"Hopefully, this way we can reduce unemployment and poverty
and improve our human resources," he said referring to the
massive rise in unemployment in the industrial regency that has
resulted from the prolonged economic crisis.

As his first move, Ismet plans to streamline the
administration structure. This will include the abolition of four
agencies out of a total of 18, the setting up of three new bodies
in addition to the five existing ones, and the upgrading of
villages into subdistricts.

He stated that the regency would provide wide-ranging
opportunities for investors to put their money into various
sectors in the regency.

The Regency Investment Coordinating Board (BKPMD)
has issued a map showing land zoned for industrial use and
expressway development so as to encourage business growth.

The plans include the development in collaboration with the
central government of a sea fishing port on 100 hectares of land
belonging to the forestry ministry near the Cituis river estuary
between Surya Bahari and Sukawali villages in Pakuhaji district.

Other plans include the construction of a major port in
Tanjung Pasir, Teluk Naga district; coastal recreation sites
similar to Jaya Ancol, and warehousing complexes in Mauk and
Kosambi districts; container ports in Cikupa and Jambe districts;
industrial plants in Serpong, Balaraja, Pasar Kemis and Cikupa
districts; trade centers for regional products in Cikupa and
Serpong districts; shopping centers in the regency capital of
Tigaraksa Serpong and Balaraja; vehicle spare parts centers in
Cikupa Serpong, Balaraja, Pasar kemis and Cisoka; and hospitals
and medical centers in Curug, Cikupa and Balaraja.

"All we need now is to look for serious investors to realize
the plans. They can select which projects they are interested in
and we'll facilitate them with easy and speedy permit processes,"
Ismet said.

However, transportation will be one of the main factors
attracting investors to the regency's 30 districts, which have a
total population of nearly 3 million people.

Therefore, the administration plans to build two toll roads as
extensions of the existing Bintaro-BSD (Bumi Serpong Damai) toll
road. The first will go through Cipondoh, Tangerang municipality,
Sepatan and Teluk Naga as far as the airport tollway in
Cengkareng.

The second one will also start in Serpong and go through
Pagedangan, Curug, Panongan, Cikupa, Tigaraksa, Balaraja, Rajeg,
Mauk, Sukadiri and Pakuhaji as far as the Serpong-Teluk Naga toll
road in Teluk Naga.

"Japanese and Korean investors have come to us and expressed
their interest in funding the tollways. But our negotiations with
them have yet to result in any final decisions," said Ismet,
adding that local investors were also welcome.

It all seems to good to be true, however, raising the question
as to whether the new regent will be able to bring all his plans
to fruition during his five year term, which ends in 2008.