Jakarta.  Banten Governor Andra Soni is shifting the province’s investment strategy to focus on sustaining existing projects even as foreign and domestic capital continues to pour into one of Indonesia’s fastest-growing industrial regions.

Speaking at the Beritasatu Regional Forum 2025 in Jakarta on Wednesday, Andra said maintaining and expanding current investments will be just as critical as attracting new ones. “We don’t want to be trapped in the assumption that investment must always be foreign or new,” he said. “What matters is ensuring that existing investments continue to grow and contribute more.”

Banten, situated just outside of Jakarta, has emerged as a magnet for large-scale projects across manufacturing, energy, real estate, and digital infrastructure. In Cilegon, Chandra Asri Group is developing a Rp 15 trillion chlor-alkali and ethylene dichloride plant, part of the National Strategic Projects designed to cut chemical imports and boost downstream output by 2027.

Foreign direct investment remains strong. Krakatau POSCO, a joint venture between Krakatau Steel and South Korea’s POSCO, has invested about $3 billion in its integrated steel complex, now undergoing capacity expansion to supply the automotive and construction sectors. China’s Shenhua Guohua Pembangkitan Jawa Bali is behind the $1.88 billion Jawa 7 ultra-supercritical power plant expansion in Suralaya, one of the largest foreign-backed power projects in the Java-Bali grid.

Banten has also attracted new-economy investments. Maharaksa Biru Energi and China Tianying are preparing a Rp 2.6 trillion waste-to-energy facility in South Tangerang, slated to begin construction in early 2026.

Real estate and township development continue to anchor domestic capital flows. Sinar Mas Land and Alam Sutera Realty remain major contributors to construction growth, while the massive PIK 2 coastal city project, led by Agung Sedayu Group and Salim Group with estimated initial investment exceeding Rp 65 trillion, is transforming the Tangerang coastline into a mixed-use hub for logistics, housing, tourism, and commercial activity.

Still, the governor underscored that growth remains uneven. The Tangerang area drives much of Banten’s gross regional product thanks to industrial zones and housing expansion, while districts such as Lebak and Pandeglang lag due to weak infrastructure and limited fiscal capacity, some as low as 19 percent in fiscal independence.

To narrow the gap, Andra is pushing village-level infrastructure, particularly rural road construction, which he says will unlock investment in historically underserved regions. “Building village roads is part of our intervention to equalize the economy. This aligns with the national development priorities in the Asta Cita (President Prabowo Subianto's vision),” he said.

Strengthened connectivity, he added, will be essential to making more of Banten attractive to investors, and ensuring the province’s rapid growth is more evenly shared.

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