KN. The Nusantara Capital Authority (OIKN) and U.S.-based multinational company Honeywell agreed to cooperate in applying the smart city concept in the development of IKN in East Kalimantan.
“This cooperation is expected to expedite the development of Nusantara as a smart city in accordance with the Smart City Blueprint of Nusantara,” OIKN Deputy for Green and Digital Transformations Mohammed Ali Berawi noted in OIKN’s statement cited in Jakarta.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo had a meeting with ministers at the Presidential Palace to discuss the readiness of the new capital city Nusantara to hold the Independence Day ceremony on Aug. 17. The meeting also discussed the progress of the the city’s construction, of which Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy said the progress had reached 90 percent.
President Jokowi announced that the 79th Independence Day ceremony would be held in two locations: Nusantara Capital City (IKN) and Jakarta, to show the capital city’s relocation. President Jokowi acknowledged the challenges of preparing to relocate the national capital, including mobility, transportation, and accommodation.
President Jokowi invited all former presidents to attend the national ceremony commemorating the 79th Independence Day in the new capital city of Nusantara or IKN in East Kalimantan, including Megawati Soekarnoputri and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyohno.
The 79th Independence Day commemoration ceremony on Aug. 17 will be held in Indonesia’s new capital, Nusantara, and the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Human Development and Culture Coordinating Minister Muhadjir Effendy said.
Muhadjir said that the ceremony in Nusantara, located in East Kalimantan, will be led directly by President Jokowi, accompanied by President-elect Prabowo Subianto.
State guests, including ambassadors from friendly countries, will be invited to attend the ceremony in the new capital. Meanwhile, the 79th Independence Day commemoration ceremony in Jakarta will be led by Vice President Ma’ruf Amin, accompanied by Vice President-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
IKN Authority (OIKN) Deputy for Funding and Investment Agung Wicaksono said that nine companies were determined to invest in IKN with investment indications reaching IDR45 trillion. Not only from Indonesia, he said the nine companies also come from three foreign countries: Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, and China.
President Jokowi is rushing to reassure investors and bureaucrats about his $32 billion new capital city in a malaria-prone pocket of Kalimantan, after the resignations of two officials overseeing the plan raised fresh doubts about its future.
Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia ensured that the influx and appeal of investments at the new capital city of Nusantara (IKN) were not in a weakened state despite the Nusantara Capital Authority (OIKN) chair’s resignation.
Indonesia’s President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said he plans to start working from the new capital city next month amid concerns over the future of the project following resignations of senior executives overseeing the development.
Jokowi said progress of a number of infrastructure development under the first phase of the $32 billion capital city, called Nusantara, on Borneo island, has reached around 80%.
According to Yanaur Nugroho, Visiting Senior Fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore, and a Senior Lecturer at the Driyarkara School of Philosophy, Jakarta, the recent loss of the top two officials leading the new capital’s construction and development process has thrown a serious wrench in the works for Indonesia’s President Widodo’s ambitious move. Pretending that all systems are still go is not the solution.
The 3 June resignations of the former Head and Vice-Head of Indonesia’s Nusantara Capital Authority (OIKN), Bambang Susantono and Dhony Rahajoe, surprised many. Their abrupt departure raised questions about what happened behind the scenes and fuelled speculations about the future of Indonesia’s new capital. For now, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has appointed in their stead his public works and housing minister and the deputy agrarian minister.
The construction of the new capital city (IKN) is one of the most ambitious projects in Indonesian history. There have been valid objections and criticisms from the start, and it has faced numerous challenges, including a rushed legislative process and the lack of public consultation of affected local communities at inception.
There are also concerns about the environmental and social impacts of development in the East Kalimantan region. Bambang and Dhony’s resignations just two months prior to Jokowi’s plan to celebrate Independence Day (17 August) in the IKN exacerbate such negative perceptions. Further, they could affect not just public and political support but also investor interest.