Jakarta – As we suspected from the outset, the construction of the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) in East Kalimantan has grown to a halt.

Without a relevant purpose, and with no proper planning or calculations, as well as being built in haste, the IKN project has come to a standstill since the man behind the idea, Joko Widodo, stepped down from the presidency in October 2024. Now the IKN is like a ghost town populated by a thousand civil servants without any clear responsibilities.

These civil servants work for the IKN Authority headed by Basuki Hadimuljono, Public Works and Housing Minister in the Jokowi era. Basuki has a mandate to continue construction of the IKN with budgeting this year of Rp13.8 trillion for infrastructure and salaries.

Rather than spending funds on this wasteful project, President Prabowo Subianto could use the IKN budget for development projects that would benefit many people. Labor intensive projects – the construction of roads, bridges and irrigation systems – would restore people's purchasing power, which has collapsed as a result of the economic slowdown. Meanwhile, the existing IKN buildings could be maintained with a modest budget.

Stopping this unnecessary project would be in line with Prabowo's policy to cut government spending in many ministries and institutions. These budget cuts have had a significant impact on the economy because halting government spending has led to a loss of revenue in the real sector. Switching IKN funding to labor-intensive projects could at least halt this slowdown before it worsens.

There is no need for Prabowo to save Jokowi's image as a way of thanking him for the promotion to Defense Minister after being defeated in the 2019 presidential election. He has already repaid the favor to Jokowi by accepting his son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, as his running mate in the 2024 election.

Away from this, the basis for Prabowo's policies should be the wider public interest, namely the welfare of the people. Cutting the losses and stopping investment in order to prevent further losses is the best option for the IKN now.

As of the end of 2024, state spending on the IKN had reached Rp89 trillion. This would be enough to build 89,000 kilometers of village roads, 300 hospitals, or 17,000 elementary schools. If funds for the construction of IKN infrastructure continue to be allocated in the State Budget, government coffers will be depleted for nothing.

At a time of economic slowdown, a huge burden of debt, and global uncertainty leading to tax revenues plummeting, any government spending, no matter how small, should be allocated to beneficial projects. This way, people who have lost their jobs could once again earn money, businesses will grow, and the economy will be revived.

The reckless IKN project should teach Prabowo that forcing through ambitions without considering the benefits brings harm to many. For the sake of his personal legacy, Jokowi used his authority as president to launch flagship projects, the costs of which now have to be borne by everybody.

No less important is the need to be wary of sycophants who stifle public criticism about the risks of the IKN project. Praise from these sycophants led Jokowi to believe that he had support to ignore the environmental, social and economic impacts. After the claims of investors lining up to put their money into the IKN turned out to be unsubstantiated, he forced local tycoons to construct buildings and facilities that were not profitable for their businesses.

And just look at the politicians in the House of Representatives who previously heaped praise on the new capital project and supported it by passing the IKN Law, but who overnight reversed their position and called for the project to be halted or turned into a capital for East Kalimantan.

In a similar but not exactly the same way: the support from sycophants for the free nutritious meal and food estate projects, or militarization has led to Prabowo ignoring criticism. Now he is lulled by dreams of realizing gigantic projects in his desire to become an 'Asian tiger.' If he is not stopped, Prabowo will suffer the same fate as Jokowi: remembered as a president who left behind damage not easily repaired.

– Read the complete story in Tempo English Magazine

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/2038121/the-ikn-should-stop-her