Realizing a World City for All, The Support and Role of Engineers Awaited in the Development of Nusantara Capital City

Thepresidentpost.id - In accelerating economic transformation, especially amid the current global crisis, the Government has taken various strategic steps such as accelerating digital transformation, improving the quality of human resources, developing a green economy, issuing Lieu of Law (Perpu) Number 2 of 2022 concerning Job Creation, and also including moving the Nusantara Capital City (IKN).

The relocation of the center of government or IKN from Jakarta to outside Java Island is inseparable from the structure of the Indonesian economy, which is still spatially concentrated on Java Island and taking into account population growth and the carrying capacity of Java Island, especially in the Jakarta area which is decreasing.

"The transfer of IKN to Kalimantan, which was stipulated through Law Number 3 of 2022, is certainly a legal certainty for the sustainability of the capital city move and a commitment to economic equality so that it is no longer Java-centric but also builds an inclusive economy, especially in eastern Indonesia," said Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto virtually at the National Leadership Meeting of the Indonesian Engineers Association, Friday (20/01).

The development of IKN carries the concept future smart forest city based on innovation and technology in line with the development direction of the Kalimantan Island region, which encourages economic diversification but still maintains the function of Kalimantan as the lungs of the world.

In addition, the construction of IKN is a labor-intensive program that will absorb a large number of workers, which in 2023 is expected to absorb around 100 thousand to 200 thousand workers and will positively impact the Indonesian economy.

"In the future, the development of IKN is not only about infrastructure development, but also multiplier effect such as strengthening intermodal connectivity, developing food and agriculture corridors, and mainstreaming disaster management and climate change adaptation," said Coordinating Minister Airlangga.

Considering this is a large project, the Coordinating Minister Airlangga emphasized the importance of the support and role of all stakeholders, including the Indonesian Engineers Association, to realize the shared vision of IKN as a catalyst for increasing Indonesian civilization.

The engineers are expected to be able to develop innovation and technology in building IKN as a World City for All and a symbol of developed countries, support the accelerated transformation of renewable energy as a substitute for fossils, and make the energy transition to an electricity system, and be involved in the development of IKN that is smart, sustainable, modern, standardized international, and can become a national identity.

To accelerate the development of IKN, the Government provides opportunities for the private sector, business entities, and the public to play a role in building IKN infrastructure. In this case, the Government has prepared funding support through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) financing scheme.

The government also hopes that engineers in the business sector can contribute to improving the quality of human resources through Vocational Education to create competent human resources according to industry needs. The government has provided Super Tax Deduction incentives in the form of a maximum gross income reduction of 200% of the total costs incurred for vocational development.