Investment in IKN safe regardless of whoever leads Indonesia: Jokowi

Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) guaranteed that investment and sustainability in the development of Nusantara National Capital City (IKN Nusantara) will remain safe regardless of whoever wins the 2024 Presidential and Vice Presidential General Election (Pilpres).

The president made this assurance while speaking at the forum of the 2023 Ecosperity Week in Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, Wednesday, which was attended by investors, government officials, and academics.

President Jokowi opened his speech by lightheartedly seeking answers from members of the audience on who would win the 2024 presidential election.

“Ah, sorry, wrong script. I apologize for the mistake in this script, even though I know you are all quite curious about that. Sorry,” according to Jokowi, who was greeted with laughter from the audience, as seen from the broadcast of the speech uploaded on the official YouTube channel of the Presidential Secretariat.

The president then expressed confidence that Indonesia’s partners in Singapore understood that whoever would lead the country in future would focus on making it a giant and major power in Asia.

“So, everything will be fine, (and there is) no need to worry. Your investment in Indonesia will be safe as well as the continued development of the Nusantara Capital City,” Jokowi affirmed.

The head of state then elaborated on the various concepts being promoted by IKN Nusantara, i.e., a world-class smart city surrounded by nature.

IKN Nusantara is also labeled as a green city with forests constituting 65 percent of the area, and the first carbon-neutral city in Indonesia equipped with world-class education and health facilities.

President Jokowi also drew attention to the skyrocketing housing prices in Singapore while humorously suggesting that the audience could perhaps consider IKN Nusantara as a place to live in the future.

“Nusantara will be a comfortable city to live in and do business. I know the prices of settlements here have skyrocketed, so maybe living in Nusantara can be an option,” Jokowi stated.

President Jokowi attended the 2023 Ecosperity Week to promote Indonesian investment, especially in the areas of energy transition, green infrastructure, and development of IKN Nusantara.

After attending the Ecosperity Week, President Jokowi and Mrs. Iriana will meet Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong and Mrs Ho Ching at the Singapore Palace.

After Singapore, the president will continue his working visit to Malaysia to meet Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim and Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah.

President Jokowi’s main objective behind the working visit to Malaysia is to conclude several important negotiations that had been ongoing for years and had yet to be completed, such as those on border issues and the protection of Indonesian migrant workers (PMI).