Asked For Business Expansion To IKN, Retail Entrepreneurs: It's Difficult For Four Minimarkets

IKN illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Indonesian Retail Entrepreneurs Association (Aprindo), Roy Nicholas Mandey, responded to a request from the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) to expand the modern retail business to the capital city of Nusantara (IKN), East Kalimantan (Kaltim).

Furthermore, Roy revealed that there are already companies that have opened minimarkets on the road to the IKN area.

There are already four minimarkets on the road to IKN, so there are two urban villages and one village. So there are already four, before getting to IKN," said Roy after the Gambir Trade Talk event, Wednesday, August 14.

Meanwhile, continued Roy, for Alfamart minimarkets, there are already those who have signed a commitment to open outlets around IKN. Meanwhile, other retail entrepreneurs are still waiting for commercial areas that have not been built at IKN.

"At IKN, you can't stand at will, you can't be near the palace or near the ministry's office A or B. So everyone uses zoning. And the commercial zoning has worked with one of our members with Bina Karya (Persero)," he said.

In addition, Roy also revealed that there are already entrepreneurs from Balikpapan who are committed to building shopping centers or malls in the IKN area.

"It's a minimarket, supermarkets and the like are waiting for the mall. So the mall is finished. Because there are Balikpapan entrepreneurs who have mall areas, shopping centers. In the commercial zone too, so we don't know when to build it yet," said Roy.

Previously, the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag) invited modern retail business actors to expand their business to the capital city of Nusantara (IKN), East Kalimantan (Kaltim). Given that later there will be population movement to the area.

Head of the Trade Policy Agency of the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag), Kasan Muhri, said modern retail would be needed at IKN to fulfill the lifestyle of the people living in the new capital city later.

"In IKN, people need to eat and drink, and everything. But what about modern retail at IKN? Have you prepared or what?," said Kasan at the Gambir Trade Talk event, Wednesday, August 14.

Currently, continued Kasan, there are already hotel and hospital entrepreneurs (RS) who are expanding their business into the area. So, he hopes that modern retailers will follow other entrepreneurs who have invested in IKN.

The invitation was conveyed by Kasan in front of the General Chair of the Indonesian Retail Entrepreneurs Association (Aprindo), Roy Nicholas Mandey, who was also present at the Gambir Trade Talk event.

"How is this Pak Roy roughly? At IKN, it doesn't seem like modern retailers want to open. Hotels are already open, hospitals are open, education is open, even training centers for sports are open," said Kasan.