VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

A part of the new national capital’s (IKN’s) design illustration. (ANTARA/PUPR Ministry/FR) - 

The head of the National Capital (IKN) Authority would need to meet several basic criteria to lead the relocation and development of IKN, city planning expert Nirwono has said.

One of the criteria is an understanding of the new capital’s development plan, as stipulated in Law No. 3 of 2022 on IKN, he expounded.

Next, the IKN Authority head would also need to be capable of assisting in the formulation and issuance of all derivative regulations of the IKN Law, whether central or IKN Authority head regulations, he said.

Then, the official would also need to have a knowledge of the site of IKN’s development and its sociocultural characteristics, he added.

"Moreover, they should have clear budget allocation," he remarked.

The IKN Authority head should ideally be drawn from the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry, specifically from the IKN Development Planning Task Force and IKN Development Execution Task Force, Nirwono suggested.

Officials from these task forces will have a better understanding of the early plan for the IKN's development, he said. This will make development more effective, he added.

"They can immediately carry out basic city infrastructure development such as the construction of roads, waterways, utility networks, police or military housing, and Presidential Palace," he remarked.

Next, the leadership of the IKN authority in the next phase can come from external parties and be assigned several tasks such as cooperating with local governments, inviting potential investors, and expediting development in other regions, he said.

As per Law No. 3 of 2022, the Indonesian President will have to appoint the head and deputy head of the IKN Authority within two months of the law’s ratification on February 15, 2022, at the latest.

President Joko Widodo, on February 22, 2022, stressed that he will appoint the IKN Authority head promptly.

He also noted that the candidate for the National Capital Authority head would come from a non-party affiliated political group//ANT