Robinsar-Fajar Repair Cilegon's Fiscal Health and City Landscape
One year into the leadership of Mayor Robinsar and Deputy Mayor Fajar Hadi Prabowo, Cilegon has faced no small fiscal challenge. Inaugurated on 20 February 2025, the pair inherited a budget deficit and hundreds of billions of rupiah in third-party debts from payment defaults. The Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) even called for serious reforms to prevent a recurrence.
The duo focused on restructuring the regional revenue and expenditure budget (APBD) through rationalisation in their first year. A number of budget lines deemed to lack a strong basis were trimmed, including revenue corrections amounting to Rp 110 billion.
Budget efficiency measures were also carried out comprehensively, guided by the principle of programme effectiveness.
As a result, the 2025 APBD saw the Cilegon city government reverse the situation from deficit to a surplus of Rp 80 billion. Meanwhile, the settlement of approximately Rp 130 billion in payment defaults is being completed in stages.
Robinsar described the fiscal overhaul as the essential foundation for healthy development. Budget discipline, he said, is the key to ensuring that the industrial city — which has the nation’s fourth-largest gross domestic product — does not fall back into deficit.
Robinsar also committed to reshaping the city’s appearance to match its “petro dollar” nickname and identity as a strategic industrial zone. Upgrades to pavements, decorative lighting, and the city entrance corridor form part of the public space renewal effort.
Fajar Hadi Prabowo, meanwhile, emphasised the importance of strengthening policy impact. The measure of success, he said, is not merely the number of programmes but the tangible benefits felt by residents. Accordingly, evaluation and planning discipline have been tightened, including clarifying the link between programme outputs and outcomes for the community. Executive-legislative synergy has also been strengthened to make the planning process more accountable.
In the people’s economy sector, various interventions have been rolled out. Market operations and affordable bazaars were held across eight sub-districts to maintain price stability. A new entrepreneurship programme was realised through interest-free loans for hundreds of micro-enterprise operators, along with facilitation of business legalisation and financial management mentoring. Modernisation of vocational training centres is also under way through certified training programmes, including occupational health and safety and security professions.
Education has also received attention. A total of 511 university students received Cilegon Juare scholarships for the 2025/2026 academic year. In the health sector, 88,382 underprivileged residents received National Health Insurance (JKN) premium assistance, aiming to push Universal Health Coverage to 98.52 per cent. Round-the-clock maternity services and the strengthening of Basic Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (PONED) community health centres are part of the drive to improve access to basic healthcare.
Social commitment has been demonstrated through phased increases in allowances for neighbourhood heads (RT/RW), honorary teachers, madrasah teachers, Quran teachers, and funeral attendants. A total of 4,181 non-civil-servant employees were also appointed as part-time government employees with work agreements (P3K). Slum area improvements have targeted 40 neighbourhood sites and hundreds of uninhabitable homes through collaboration between local government and corporate social responsibility programmes.
Entering their second year, the pair face further targets, including the construction of the Northern Ring Road, a Youth Centre, thematic parks, and the development of tourism destinations and cultural festivals. Political pledges continue to be delivered in stages, underpinned by a healthy fiscal foundation that provides greater room for manoeuvre. The next challenge is maintaining budget discipline while ensuring every policy truly benefits the people of Cilegon.