Jokowi pushes for people's involvement in nusantara's development

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) emphasized the importance of ensuring people's active participation in the development of Nusantara Capital City (IKN) in parts of East Kalimantan Province.

"It is necessary to prioritize people's participation in the construction of the IKN. We cannot afford to leave people feeling marginalized or force eviction on them," IKN Authority (OIKN) Acting Head Basuki Hadimuljono quoted Jokowi as saying on Monday.

Speaking after an internal meeting with the head of state at the Garuda Presidential Palace, Nusantara, he noted that the OIKN has a deputy that focuses on identifying ways to involve the public in development projects.

Hadimuljono, concurrently serving as the public works and public housing minister, also reiterated the need to ensure that the capital city's construction does not harm locals.

"We have 256 thousand hectares of land (on which Nusantara is being built). We are against forcing people to relocate, but we will find a better place for them when a relocation is mandatory," he pointed out.

Earlier, President Jokowi underscored that construction work at IKN had brought economic benefits to the city's development zone and its surroundings.

"You can inquire with the East Kalimantan Office of Bank Indonesia about data on the economic growth rate in this year's first quarter," he told reporters at the Garuda Palace.

According to the president, the latest economic growth was recorded at above seven percent.

He highlighted that construction work in Indonesia's future seat of government is still underway, noting that the IKN constitutes a major national project whose completion requires proper planning and should not be rushed.