DPR: IKN Law Is Binding, Must Move Even Though The President Is Not Jokowi Anymore

Chairman of the IKN DPR Bill Ahmad Doli Kurnia/ IST

JAKARTA - The Indonesian House of Representatives stated that the Law on the State Capital or the IKN Law binds the government and all parties to move the capital city to East Kalimantan. The DPR emphasized that the IKN Law was mandatory even though there was a change of government in 2024 and beyond. Chairman of the Special Committee for the DPR IKN Bill, Ahmad Doli Kurnia, said that the stipulation of the IKN Law provided a guarantee for the implementation of the relocation of the capital city from Jakarta to Penajam Paser Utara, East Kalimantan.

"This law makes guarantees, our consensus is that we agree to move the capital city from Jakarta to East Kalimantan," said Doli at a press conference after the 13th Plenary Session of the House of Representatives for the Third Session of the 2021-2022 Session Year, Tuesday, January 18. Previously, said Doli, there were various discourses on the transfer of IKN such as to Palangkaraya, Jonggol, and Hambalang but there was no legal basis so that there was no implementation of the transfer. He assessed that the existence of the law would make the next government obliged to continue the step of moving IKN to East Kalimantan. This means that from 2024 onwards, the government is obliged to bear and carry out the current presidential decree, Joko Widodo. As for Jakarta, the DPR will discuss the law with the government later. "We have entrusted the government to propose that Jakarta remain a special area," he said. The initial stage of relocating IKN to East Kalimantan takes place in 2022-2024, namely in the form of major infrastructure development such as the presidential palace, MPR/DPR buildings, and housing in main areas. In the IKN pocket book, it is even written that there was an initial transfer of state civil apparatus (ASN), including the TNI, Polri, and MPR, until the president moved to the new capital before August 16, 2024.

The next phase of relocation will take place in 2025-2035 through core development, such as the development of the next phase of the city in the form of an innovation center to developing priority economic sectors. At this stage, the government targets the completion of the transfer of the central government to East Kalimantan, meaning that the transfer must be completed in a maximum of 13 years.

The next stage in 2035-2045 is the development of the entire infrastructure and ecosystem of the three cities to accelerate the development of East Kalimantan, including increasing connectivity between and within cities. The government even targets that at this stage IKN can become the number one foreign investment destination and enter the top five main destinations in Southeast Asia for global talent.

In 2045 and beyond, the government projects IKN to achieve net zero-carbon emissions by using 100 percent of renewable energy at installed capacity. Unmitigated, the government has set a goal to become the first city in the world with a population of over 1 million people to achieve this target—even though Indonesia is still very dependent on fossil energy.