Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia at the Groundbreaking Ceremony of Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) 46 Building, Nusantara Capital, North Penajam Paser Regency, East Kalimantan Province, February 29, 2024

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.
Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
Good Afternoon,
May prosperity be upon us all.

Distinguished Chairperson of the Presidential Advisory Council (Wantimpres), Distinguished Cabinet Ministers:  Minister of Investment Mr Bahlil, Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency Mr AHY,  Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Mr Basuki, Minister of Trade Mr Zulkifli, and Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Mr Erick Thohir;
Distinguished Commander of the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI), Governor of East Kalimantan, and Regent of North Penajam Paser;
Distinguished Chairperson of the Nusantara Capital (IKN) Authority;
Distinguished Chairperson of the Financial Services Authority (OJK);
Distinguished CEO of BNI, the Board of Directors’ members, Board of Commissioners’ members, religious leaders, and community leaders;
Ladies and gentlemen.

This region will become a financial industry cluster and a banking cluster. I am glad that Bank BNI is developing a digital banking ecosystem to boost people’s digital access. The economic reforms in the IKN should speed up transformation from the old economic pattern to the new one, since the global economic landscape is currently changing, the global political landscape is also changing, and so are geopolitics. The IKN must become part of Indonesia’s economic transformation.

I have stated that some of you may think that the IKN is very far from Jakarta and Balikpapan, because the airport and the toll road have not been completed. Once the projects are completed, it will only take 15 minutes from the airport to the IKN and 45 minutes from Balikpapan to the IKN. I have ordered Minister of Public Works and Public Housing to cut the travel time to 30 minutes. It turns out that there is a turn in the road so the travel time will be 45 minutes. It is all right.

We hope that toll road facilities and airport facilities will improve traffic in the airport and traffic to the IKN. We hope the IKN will become a vibrant city for government affairs, supported by complete facilities. We also hope that musical concerts can be held at the IKN.

[The IKN] must also become an ecotourism center. Currently, the IKN has an industrial plantation forest, a monoculture one, with only one type of plant, namely eucalyptus which is used for paper pulp. With the transfer of the Capital, we will turn this city into a tropical rainforest, not only for the IKN but also for the island of Kalimantan. We also prepare a nursery. As of today, the Mentawir nursery is ready to produce approximately 15 million plants every year. It is located approximately 30 minutes from here.

Maybe you are wondering why the weather is hot? The answer is that we have a limited number of trees, a monoculture forest. Once the species are diverse, with a tropical rain forest, it will become a green city, a forest city. We will also have many bank offices here with digital banking ecosystems, aligned with the smart city concept.

I have asked Head of the Authority [of the IKN], Mr. Bambang, “How many years would it take for the city project to be completed?” He answered: “Ten years, sir.” That is a normal estimation. With a massive investment like now, I believe the project will finish sooner, God willing.

That concludes my remarks. By saying bismillahirrahmanirrahim, I hereby declare that the Bank Negara Indonesia construction project in the IKN officially begins.

I thank you.
Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

(RI/MUR)