Mending Banten's Cracks: Development Politics Must Not Be Biased

Banten province, often hailed as Indonesia's "international gateway" due to the presence of Soekarno-Hatta Airport and Merak Port, harbors a painful contradiction within its borders. While the northern regions boast industrial forests and modern cities like Tangerang, the southern areas of Lebak and Pandeglang are marked by dilapidated roads and extreme poverty.

This stark inequality is Banten's greatest political challenge. For too long, political and economic policies have been "North-centric," with significant investments flowing into Cilegon's steel industry and Tangerang's service and property sectors. This business logic, while understandable, carries substantial political and social risks. When development's benefits are concentrated in areas near Jakarta, the southern populations feel increasingly marginalized.

This sense of being "second-class citizens" is frequently exploited by political actors. Leading up to regional elections, candidates often visit the South with promises of infrastructure improvements. However, development in Banten is frequently hampered by a bureaucratic "projectism" mentality. Construction of roads, schools, and health centers in remote areas often results in low-quality outcomes as funds are siphoned off mid-project. Banten's future politics demands leaders willing to conduct rigorous audits, ensuring every rupiah of the regional budget reaches the roads in Pandeglang villages, rather than disappearing into government offices.

Moving forward, Banten's politics must shift towards a "solution-based approach." The populace is growing weary of identity politics or displays of closeness with religious leaders and local strongmen. What is needed now is "technocratic politics" that can answer critical questions: How can the North's industrial sector be integrated with the South's agricultural and tourism potential? How can jobs be created for thousands of vocational school graduates to prevent them from becoming mere spectators in their own province? How can bureaucratic digitalization reduce corruption, a major impediment to progress? Banten's political arena should become a race of ideas to unite the province's economic dualism, as Banten cannot truly be strong if only one of its legs, the North, is moving forward.