Head Of Authority: Construction Of IKN On The Track Currently

Head of the IKN Authority Bambang Susantono (Photo: Doc. Antara)

Head of the Nusantara State Capital Authority (OIKN) Bambang Susantono said the IKN infrastructure development in North Penajam Paser (PPU) Regency, East Kalimantan (Kaltim), is still on track until now.

"Infrastructure development is still on the track. We see friends from the Ministry of PUPR, for example. If you go to the field, I urge friends who have not gone to the field to see for themselves because seeing is believing," said Bambang when giving a speech at the Government Regulation Socialization event Number 12 of 2023 in Jakarta, on Tuesday, May 23.

Bambang said that many delegates from within and outside the country also came directly to see the progress of the IKN development.

"Various kinds of delegates, both foreign and local, often present, want to see for themselves. What, really, has been done because many of them also ask is it real? Right, here, want to build a capital city? Of course, by looking at themselves, they usually immediately give a very positive response," he said.

Until now, the IKN-Balikpapan toll road is still in the construction stage. Later, the toll road will shorten the travel time from 1.5 hours to around 30-40 minutes.

On the other hand, the Sepaku-Semoi Dam has been completed and is ready to supply raw water to IKN. In the central core area of the IKN government, access roads continue to be carried out and some are even starting to be used for the transportation of development logistics, at this time.

Meanwhile, various vital buildings are still running, such as the Presidential Palace and offices along with the coordinating ministry, as well as housing for state officials.

"In the first phase, there are around 300 investment packages ready to be offered to investors, including the provision of facilities and infrastructure in the fields of housing, transportation, and energy," said Bambang.

Then, OIKN also reforestes or replants the forest in IKN.

"This is one of the things that the international community really appreciates, especially that they see the practices before this that we are often accused of deforestation in the forests of Kalimantan, precisely this time we are now doing a recorrestation," he said.

He said, to support the regression, there are several nurseries locations that are being carried out, one of which is in Mentawir, Sepaku District, East Kalimantan.

"For this reason, there is a nurse in Mentawir, near IKN which will produce 15 to 20 million seeds per year. God willing, we will do this together with various elements of society and other agencies, especially the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, to make one tropical forest again," he concluded.