On Wednesday (December 20), President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) launched the groundbreaking for the development of green buildings by the government and private parties in Nusantara.
Landing in Balikpapan, President Jokowi continued his journey to Nusantara, according to information from the Presidential Secretariat.
During his working visit this time, Jokowi launched the fourth wave of the groundbreaking of projects in Nusantara.
The president launched the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the Central General Hospital (RSUP) of the Nusantara Capital City and the Nusantara Superblock.
Speaking on the same lines as the Nusantara Capital City Authority (OIKN) that states the development in Nusantara must be green, sustainable, and resilient, Jokowi emphasized that all buildings in the new capital city should comply with the green building concept.
Through low-emission development and environmentally friendly technology, Indonesia is committed to realizing Nusantara as a carbon-neutral city by 2045.
The OIKN also seeks the participation of the international business and professional community to jointly build Nusantara to be a global sustainable city by transforming civilization through striking a balance between technology utilization and nature sustainability.
To realize the green city concept, the government has determined that tropical forests would constitute 65 percent of the Nusantara area, 10 percent for green and food production areas, and the remaining 25 percent for urban areas.
The president affirmed that all parties are enthusiastic about building facilities in Nusantara's business zone, health zone, and sports zone.
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He remarked that the series of groundbreakings conducted aim to encourage all parties investing in Nusantara and the developers to immediately start construction.
According to the president, contribution of the private sector will accelerate the construction process of Nusantara that is projected to be completed in 15 years.
So far, the construction work of several projects that had been started include the Presidential and Vice Presidential Palace, ministerial housing complex, housing for state apparatus and military and police members, Bank Indonesia (BI) office complex, and the Mentawir nursery.
Other projects include a solar power plant to generate electricity for the capital city, construction of the PSSI National Training Center supported by FIFA, as well as other supporting infrastructures.
Meanwhile, the supporting infrastructure includes an airport, three private hospitals and one general hospital, an international school, a local elementary school revitalization, hotels, apartments, a shopping center, and a toll road connecting Balikpapan to Nusantara.
One of the prominent green projects is the five-star Hotel Nusantara, developed by PT Agung Sedayu Group, with the progress in work at 34.50 percent to date.
The hotel, with nine floors and 191 rooms, has an area of 20,164 square meters, with a building height of 43.10 meters.
Furthermore, the government estimated that infrastructure development in Nusantara requires a budget of Rp466 trillion (around US$30 billion).
According to the president, 20 percent of the Nusantara infrastructure financing is from the state budget, while 80 percent is through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) scheme.
The Indonesian government also opens its doors to foreign investors looking to invest in Nusantara.
Related news: President Jokowi launches construction of Nusantara's general hospital
Recently, the president lauded the swift move of several domestic investors to invest and start development in the capital city area. The president made this remark during the groundbreaking of the Pakuwon Nusantara superblock in early November.
The head of state noted that at least 130 investors from Singapore had come to see Nusantara in person, in addition to investors from South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates.
He believed that more investors will flock to Nusantara, especially after the toll road and airport work is completed.
The government expressed optimism about domestic investors being successful in developing Nusantara as a future smart forest city that reflects Indonesia's abundant natural resources and the country's resolve to preserve the environment.
In addition, the government is striving to make Nusantara's development based on the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
OIKN Head Bambang Susantono affirmed that his side envisions Nusantara as a sustainable and livable city. To that end, OIKN has included the implementation of SDGs into every development project in Nusantara, including the Mentawir Nursery and hydroponic farming.
He noted that the nursery and farming projects constitute Nusantara's efforts to promote reforestation and a sustainable economy.
The OIKN also stated that it is currently working on various projects that are consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with more green projects launched in the third phase of project groundbreaking in Nusantara.
The commitment to achieve SDGs was also echoed at the 2023 ECOSOC High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HPLF) held in July at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The OIKN stated that the city will participate in the global movement to align urban development with achieving SDGs. In this way, Nusantara will become a pioneer city in Indonesia that tracks and reviews SDGs systematically.
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Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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