Banten Shares Highway Expertise With Timor-Leste

RRI.CO.ID, Serang - The Banten Provincial Administration has been selected as the official baseline reference and learning hub for a high-level delegation from the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste to master strategic highway infrastructure project management.

Banten Governor Andra Soni personally welcomed the foreign delegation in Serang on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. The visiting cohort was led by Timor-Leste’s Deputy Ambassador Domingus Savio, alongside the Project Management Unit (PMU) for the Suai–Natarbora Highway under Timor-Leste's Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.

"Banten Province welcomes and appreciates the trust of the Timor Leste government in choosing this region as a location for infrastructure learning," Governor Andra said during the welcoming ceremony in Serang, as quoted by Antara.

The comprehensive capacity-building program will see 22 specialized PMU engineers and administrators from Timor-Leste undergo nearly a month of intensive training running from July 2 to July 27, 2026. Facilitated directly by the Banten Public Works and Spatial Planning Office (PUPR), the training curriculum zeroes in on heavy road and bridge engineering, construction material stresses and testing, and strict project administrative governance.

Andra explained that the PMU team is currently mapping out a major highway and toll road network in Timor-Leste, requiring them to dissect holistic, large-scale project management frameworks from inception to execution.

"We hope this visit will be a platform for exchanging experiences, not only in technical aspects, but also for building a culture of quality so that the resulting infrastructure is resilient, safe, and sustainable," Andra added.

The decision to benchmark Banten was driven by the province's unique developmental timeline. Miguel Marques De Jesus Monteiro, the Coordinator for the Suai–Natarbora Highway PMU, clarified that Banten's rapid infrastructure evolution since breaking away to become an independent province in the year 2000 offers highly realistic lessons for a developing nation.

"Banten is a province that has developed since its inception in 2000. This experience serves as a good reference for us in building and managing infrastructure projects in Timor Leste," Miguel explained.

Throughout the month-long course, the 22 participants will be split into two core disciplines: technical engineering and project administration.

The technical track covers advanced asphalt/concrete road and bridge deployment alongside rigorous quality control systems. Concurrently, the administrative track focuses on public archiving, contract compliance, and transparent managerial governance.

By strengthening these operational competencies, the Timor-Leste government hopes its beefed-up PMU can successfully supervise the construction of the Suai–Natarbora Highway. The massive transport corridor is designated as an essential, high-priority lifeline to support the expansion of energy industrial zones and logistics networks across Timor-Leste's southern coast. ***