Jakarta –
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) spoke about the development of the National Archipelago National Science at the Muhammadiyah Youth Conference. Jokowi compare Indonesia with other countries that have two big cities.
“Regarding the National Archipelago’s IKN, I will tell you a little. Indonesia is a big country, a big country. So if America has New York and Washington DC, Australia has Melbourne and Sydney, why doesn’t Indonesia have Jakarta and has the Archipelago?” Jokowi said in his remarks at the Muhammadiyah Youth Conference as broadcast on the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube account, Wednesday (22/2/2023).
Jokowi explained that the main reason for building IKN was equity. He said Indonesia currently has 17 thousand islands but the economy is only focused on Java Island.
“But an island called Java Island has an economic GDP of 58 percent. It’s in Java. Then what percentage of the 16,999 islands is given? Everything is in Java, 58 percent,” Jokowi said.
In addition, said Jokowi, the majority of Indonesia’s population is also on the island of Java. According to Jokowi, Java Island is already very crowded.
“And 56 percent of Indonesia’s population is in Java, how very dense the island of Java is. So that it needs the name of equitable development. Not Java-centric but Indonesia-centric,” Jokowi added.
Jokowi emphasized that moving the capital city to Kalimantan was not his idea. The relocation of the capital city, said Jokowi, had been in the works for a long time.
“What I need to remind you is that moving to IKN Nusantara was also not my idea. not. This has been since Bung Karno in 1960, Bung Karno has planned to move the capital city of Jakarta to Kalimantan, namely in Palangka Raya,” said Jokowi.
Also watch the video: The Development of IKN Continues to be Accelerated, Here’s the Progress!
(knv/imk)
