Impact of the Vacant Mayor of Banjarbaru on Development

Banjarbaru – Academician of Lambung Mangkurat University (ULM), Dr. Eng. Akbar Rahman, expressed his concerns about the vacant definitive mayor position in Banjarbaru City which he considered has the potential to affect the sustainability of regional development.

According to Akbar, the existence of the Acting Mayor currently administratively carries out government functions, but still has limitations in determining the direction of strategic policies.

“When the leader is not the result of a regional election, his room for maneuver is more limited. In fact, city development requires visionary leadership and has strong legitimacy from the community,” he said when met at the ULM Banjarbaru Complex recently.

He emphasized that, however, priority programs that have been budgeted in the 2025 APBD must still be implemented consistently by the Acting Mayor so that development is not hampered.

“Don’t let strategic programs be delayed. If it has been stated in the budget, it must be implemented immediately,” he explained.

Akbar, who is also a graduate of Saga University Japan and an urban planning expert at ULM, emphasized the importance of making planning documents such as the RPJMD and RKPD the main guidelines in carrying out development.

“The RPJMD and RKPD are a form of government continuity. Even though there is no definitive mayor, the direction of development must still be maintained,” he said.

He hopes that the vacancy of the mayoral position will not be prolonged, especially considering Banjarbaru’s position as a city that is experiencing rapid growth and is a strategic area in South Kalimantan.

“Don’t let this leadership stagnation have an impact on public services and infrastructure development,” concluded Akbar.