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.