Vice President Ma'ruf Has Not Been Assigned To Office In IKN

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin/ANTARA/Yashinta Difa)

Vice President (Vice President) Ma'ruf Amin admitted that he had not been assigned to an office in the capital city of Nusantara (IKN), East Kalimantan.

The answer was in response to journalists' questions to the Vice President, following President Joko Widodo (Jokowi)'s plan to have an office in IKN starting next July.

"So maybe the President will (offend) there. I haven't been assigned whether I should go there or stay in Jakarta," said Vice President Ma'ruf as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, March 7.

According to the Vice President, so far there has been no discussion about his plans to be based in IKN.

"Regarding IKN, it has not been discussed," he said.

President Jokowi said he would start based in IKN starting next July, after airport infrastructure and toll roads are ready to operate.

Jokowi explained that if the airport infrastructure and toll roads have been completed, the travel time from Nusantara Airport to IKN is only 15 minutes.

The construction of the toll road will also shorten the travel time from Balikpapan City to IKN from about two hours to about 45 minutes.

"So, we really hope that with the toll road facilities, airport facilities, the IKN airport traffic will become more crowded," said Jokowi separately, during the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) building at IKN, last week.

IKN is targeted to start operating on August 17, 2024, to coincide with the commemoration of the 79th Indonesian Independence Day.