With the 79th Indonesia Independence Day celebration approaching in a month, rumors have emerged regarding President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s potential delay in relocating his office to the new capital city, Nusantara (IKN).
As of now, there is no definitive timeline for Jokowi’s move to IKN, and he has not yet issued a Presidential Decree (Keppres) to formalize the capital’s relocation from Jakarta to Nusantara. When questioned about the preparations, Jokowi inquired about the readiness of essential infrastructure such as water, electricity, and facilities.
“Is the water ready? Is the electricity ready? Are the facilities ready?” he responded to journalists’ question at the Halim Perdanakusuma Airport on Monday, July 8, 2024 .
Jokowi emphasized that he is not in a rush to sign the Keppres, suggesting it could be issued either before or after his term ends in October 2024. “Let’s not force it, let’s see the progress,” he added.
Despite speculation about Jokowi’s potential change of plans, Basuki Hadimuljono, Acting Head of the IKN Authority and Minister of Public Works and Housing (PUPR), refuted claims that Jokowi had canceled his move to Nusantara. Basuki pointed out that there are still about 20 days left in July, highlighting ongoing infrastructure developments.
The PUPR ministry aims to provide access to drinking water by next week, with a capacity of 150 liters per second set to flow by Wednesday, July 17, 2024. This capacity is considered sufficient for the upcoming Independence Day celebrations.
Water from the Sepaku River and Sepaku Semoi Dam will be treated and sent to a reservoir behind the Presidential Palace for public use. The quality of the water will be monitored upon entry and exit from the reservoir to ensure safety.
In parallel, Minister Basuki mentioned that the Presidential Palace and several ministerial offices, consisting of four towers, are nearing completion. Additionally, 12 out of 47 towers designated for civil servant housing will be ready for use by participants of the Independence Day ceremony.
Basuki also noted that the Minister of Transportation, Budi Karya Sumadi, is currently inspecting ministerial residences in Nusantara, East Kalimantan.
PT Pembangunan Perumahan (PTPP) reported significant progress on the presidential office and palace, estimating that they will be operational by Indonesia’s 79th Independence Day. The projects are approximately 80 percent and 90 percent complete, respectively, with a contractual target for completion by October.
In preparation for the Independence Day celebrations, the PUPR ministry plans to open the Nusantara Capital Access Toll Road next month, which will reduce travel time from Balikpapan, home to the Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan Airport, to IKN from 120 minutes to 70 minutes.
The toll road’s sections 3A, 3B, 5A, and 6 will be connected by next month, although the 33.17-kilometer stretch will not be fully integrated with the Balikpapan-Samarinda Toll Road. The functional opening of the access toll road is expected by August 2024, with full completion projected for December 2024.
