IKN Authority Claims Farthest Capital City Relocation in the World

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Secretary of the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) Authority Jaka claims the relocation of the national capital from Jakarta to IKN in North Penajam Paser, East Kalimantan, is the farthest capital relocation in the world. The distance of the cross-island relocation, he said, reached 1,260 kilometers. 

According to Jaka, this condition is different from the relocation of capital cities in other countries such as Brazil, Australia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and Myanmar, which are still on the same stretch of land. The farthest, according to him, is also about 900 kilometers. 

"So, [capital city transfer] is indeed a challenge," said Jaka on Wednesday, March 20, 2024.

Jaka also said that the IKN project is a development based on the strength of Indonesia as a nation since it cannot learn from other countries’ experiences.

"[Other countries] do have successes or failures that we can learn from, but we must learn to dig into our own abilities," said Jaka. "Of course, by also discussing with experts from other countries."

President Joko Widodo officially announced the plan to move the national capital from Jakarta to East Kalimantan in 2019. The president said the government had conducted in-depth studies.

"The results of the study, the most ideal location of the new capital city is in part of North Penajam Paser Regency, and part in Kutai Kartanegara Regency, East Kalimantan Province," the President said in a press conference at the State Palace, Jakarta, Monday, August 26, 2019, as quoted by Tempo from the press release of the Ministry of Communication and Information.

According to the President, East Kalimantan was chosen with various considerations. Starting from minimal disaster risk; strategic location because it is in the middle of Indonesia; adjacent to developed urban areas, namely Balikpapan and Samarinda; to the availability of land controlled by the government covering 180,000 hectares.

The development of IKN finally began and was launched in five stages. Currently, the development is in the first phase. The government also aims to celebrate Indonesia’s 79th Independence Day in IKN. 

Meanwhile, the next four stages of development will be carried out in the next 20 years until 2045.

RIRI RAHAYU

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