By: Alexander Joshua Galen )*
The development of the National Capital City (IKN) of the Archipelago will be completed according to the target, namely that it can be used for the flag ceremony on August 17, 2024. With the suitability of this target, the distribution of development in the country will automatically occur soon.
On January 18 2022, it was a historic day for the Indonesian people, namely the passing of the Draft Law (RUU) on the State Capital (IKN) to become an Act (UU) by the People’s Representative Council of the Republic of Indonesia (DPR RI) and Government. Thus, Indonesia will have a new IKN replacing Jakarta.
It should be noted that the idea regarding the transfer of the IKN itself was first coined by the first President of the Republic of Indonesia, Ir. Sukarno on July 17, 1957 ago. Soekarno then chose Palangkaraya as the IKN, arguing that the city was in the middle of the Indonesian archipelago and had a large area.
Not only that, Soekarno also wanted and tried to be able to show the whole world that the Indonesian people themselves were capable of building a modern IKN. However, the idea that the first President of the Republic of Indonesia had never materialized.
On the contrary, on June 22, 1964, President Soekarno established Jakarta as Indonesia’s IKN by Law Number 10 of 1964. It didn’t stop there, during the New Order era, namely in the 1990s, a discourse emerged regarding the transfer of IKN to Jonggol.
This discourse later reappeared in the era of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), because at that time it was considered that Jakarta was already full of traffic jams and flooding. There were at least 3 (three) options at that time, namely to keep Jakarta as the IKN and the center of government by making improvements, Jakarta to still be the IKN but the center of government was moved to another area, or to build a new IKN.
In the end, the transfer of IKN was only really carried out seriously by President Joko Widodo, that is, since April 29 2019, he decided to move IKN outside Java Island and has also been included in the RPJMN for 2020 to 2024.
President Jokowi admitted that he was very optimistic that the IKN Nusantara development project would indeed proceed according to the set targets. This is because so far construction has started, both in terms of infrastructure, including the construction of offices and ministerial houses.
According to the President, the IKN development project is not a short-term project and will take 10 to 15 years to build. However, the President emphasized that construction of IKN infrastructure had already begun in the field.
One of the infrastructures that has started construction is housing for ministers. The President gave a target for the construction of the 36 ministerial houses to be completed by June 2024. Not only that, another target is that on August 17 2024 a flag ceremony will be held in the Archipelago’s Capital. The President also emphasized that until now there have been no obstacles or obstacles in the development of IKN, both in terms of budget and manpower.
In line with President Jokowi’s optimism, the Head of the National Awakening Party (PKB) DPP who is also the Deputy Chairperson of Commission IV of the DPR, Daniel Johan also believes that the construction of IKN will be completed according to the target. According to him, the big plan from the government to be able to carry out economic and population equality will clearly be realized soon.
In fact, the transfer and also the construction of the IKN itself is the hope of the current community. According to him, what has become very important in all stages of the IKN development is planning that can be carried out in a measurable and good manner.
Daniel believes that the distribution of population in Indonesia and the development of development in Kalimantan can occur with the presence of IKN. This is also in accordance with the expectations of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi). Including one of the efforts to be able to ensure that the development of the Archipelago IKN can run according to the target.
Optimism that the targets set by the Government of Indonesia regarding the development and completion of the Archipelago IKN will be completed and realized in accordance with the determined plans. Of course, when that happens, even distribution of development in Indonesia will also be guaranteed.
)* The author is a Contributor to Suara Khatulistiwa