IKN Nusantara will improve the economy in East Kalimantan . With the IKN there will be an even distribution of development, especially infrastructure. If there is a better road it will have a positive impact on the economy in East Kalimantan. The community will be even more advanced.
The new national capital (IKN) in North Penajam Paser has not been inaugurated because it is currently still under construction. It is planned that in 2024 IKN will be inaugurated. Various preparations have been made to run smoothly, starting from supporting facilities, roads for infrastructure, to preparations for social transformation.
The existence of IKN will improve the economy of the people of East Kalimantan (Kaltim) and enliven the market. Emi Alaydrus, the owner of the Ampiek Batik Balikpapan House, said that the preparations made in facing and welcoming the IKN include that the Ampiek Batik House will expand its business. Emi also provides superior products, such as Balikpapan Batik, souvenirs, and other East Kalimantan specialties.
The positive impact of IKN has been felt by Rumah Ampiek Batik, namely with increasing economic turnover and a bustling market. Rumah Ampiek Batik is ready to participate and contribute to the field of MSMEs and the creative economy in welcoming IKN in East Kalimantan, by increasing market potential.
The development of the Nusantara IKN will become the driving force for the economy in all sectors, including MSMEs. Economic improvement is one of the goals that will be pursued there.
MSME businessmen will not be afraid that their merchandise will be empty when the IKN has been completed. The reason is because if the city of Nusantara has been inaugurated, it will be inhabited by tens of thousands of new residents who are ASN and members of the TNI-Polri (transferred from DKI Jakarta). They are potential buyers.
Meanwhile, North Penajam Paser residents who are not involved in the IKN development project are also still splashed with fortune. The reason is because they can sell food that is definitely needed by IKN project workers. They also provide boarding rooms for workers living outside Penajam Paser Utara.
Economic disparities will be eliminated if the IKN is officially established. If in the past 59.03% of Indonesia’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) was in Java, while in Kalimantan it was only 8%, it is predicted that this will increase. Kalimantan’s GDP can equal, even exceed Java Island.
Meanwhile, the Head of Bank Indonesia Representative for East Kalimantan (Kaltim) Province Ricky Perdana Gozali stated, various physical projects in the Archipelago National Capital (IKN) area have contributed to the pace of economic growth in this area, including from the investment side.
East Kalimantan’s investment performance in the fourth quarter of 2022 was recorded to grow by 8.32 percent, higher than the previous quarter which grew 5.90 percent. This significant growth occurred in line with the continued development of IKN infrastructure.
Ricky Perdana continued, as projects at the IKN continue to the future, he estimates that the economy in the first quarter of 2023 will still grow positively, although slightly slower than in the fourth quarter of 2022. This estimate is driven by various factors, including high rainfall rain at the beginning of the year and there is a seasonal pattern of coal production which tends to be less in the first quarter.
In a sense, infrastructure development has a positive impact on economic growth in East Kalimantan. When many roads are built, it will facilitate the mobility of residents and they can get to work quickly. In addition, good roads also facilitate trade because the delivery of goods will be smoother. As a result, the people’s economy also increased drastically.
Residents of East Kalimantan, especially in Penajam Paser Utara, are proud of the fast and neat infrastructure development in their area. They have long wanted a representative highway to facilitate mobility.
Development also fuels economic growth as project workers will need food, laundry facilities, etc. That way the local population will provide it and their economy will get better, thanks to the development of the National Archipelago’s IKN.
Meanwhile, Head of the IKN Authority, Bambang Susantono, stated that economic equality is one definite reason for moving the capital city to East Kalimantan. In fact, since the initial construction phase, traders around IKN Nusantara have had several positive impacts. The development of the National Science Institute of the Archipelago has had a positive impact economically and is felt directly by the surrounding community.
Bambang continued, the development of the Archipelago would continue to go well according to plan so that the economic impact would be increasingly felt and greater. Not only for the people around the archipelago, but also Kalimantan and Indonesia. This is in line with the goals of the archipelago, namely for economic equity and to make Indonesia one of the high-income countries.
In a sense, IKN will improve the economy in East Kalimantan because there is an even distribution of development. Infrastructure and other facilities will be built and benefit traders. The market will always be crowded because the road supports the mobility of business people.
IKN will increase economic turnover in East Kalimantan. The market will also be more crowded, because more and more IKN visitors come from outside Borneo and want to buy food and souvenirs typical of Kalimantan. East Kalimantan people will be more prosperous.
)* The author is a Persada Institute Observer