Jokowi Asks Tony Blair to Promote the New Capital of Indonesia

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair gives his support to Indonesia's new capital project known as Nusantara in Kalimantan Island (Borneo). Blair's party said the capital relocation was a big mission.

Tony Blair also discussed this project when he met the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. Tony Blair Institute (TBI) also affirmed support for Indonesia.

"Indonesia is undertaking a great mission to relocate its capital city into the heart of the country in Borneo and TBI has been proudly supporting this agenda," said Tony Blair Institute through its official Twitter, quoted on Thursday (20/10/2022).

TBI also mentioned that Tony Blair met Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan to discuss the progress of relocating the capital.

Furthermore, the Tony Blair Institute gave support to Indonesia which held the G20 presidency in 2022. Indonesia is considered a country that has the potential to be an "economic powerhouse".

Tony Blair also agreed with the minister of State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) Erick Thohir to discuss SOEs. Another topic that Tony Blair highlighted was Indonesia's role in global health architecture.

Tony Blair Institute said he supported the Ministry of Health on, "health transformation strategies including conducting clinical testing for new vaccines to cure life-threatening diseases," Tony Blair Institute said.

Tony Blair was British prime minister from 1997-2007. He led Britain into the war in Iraq when he was serving as PM As a result, he earned the nickname "Bliar".

President Joko Widodo received Tony Blair at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, on Wednesday. Blair is a member of Advisory Board member of the New Capital of Nusantara (IKN). The Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, and Minister for State Secretary Pratikno accompanied Jokowi at the meeting.

Quoted from the setkab.go.id page, Thursday (20/10/2022), Luhut revealed that the meeting discussed the plan to relocate the new capital to Kalimantan.

Jokowi asked the former British Prime Minister to participate in the agenda by promoting IKN to the international world. “The President asked Tony Blair and he also happened to offer to help promote this new capital internationally,” said Luhut.

Luhut also stated that Tony Blair suggested some promotional strategies. According to Tony Blair, the Government could promote by offering investment opportunities to several other countries, such as the Governments of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the People’s Republic of China, as well as several foreign companies in the Asian region.

Luhut added that in addition to foreign companies, the domestic companies will also contribute to the development of IKN through investment.

“The domestic companies will work together to develop the IKN, not only the development of the buildings but, according to the President, also its spirit,” he said.

Regarding last night’s event "Ibu Kota Nusantara Sejarah Baru Peradaban Baru", Luhut stated that Tony Blair was very satisfied with the presentation including the President’s remarks and the invitation extended to potential investors.

"Tony Blair is very satisfied with what was presented last night by the committee," Luhut explained.

Many world institutions predicted that world economic growth in 2023 is threatened by the global recession. Nevertheless, the Government of Indonesia was still optimistic that the national economy would remain resilient. This was reflected by the economic growth of this year's odd semester which was still above 5 percent.

Therefore, the development of the IKN Nusantara in Kalimantan would continue as planned.

"Indonesia is considered by several international institutions as a glimmer of hope amid people who are pessimistic about the global economic condition," said the Head of Indonesia’s Nusantara Capital City (IKN) Authority, Bambang Susantono at the Djakarta Theater, Central Jakarta, Tuesday night (18/10).

And on this side what IKN did was make a new center of growth. A place of economic development. This will be the engine of the road, said the Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Arsyad Rasyid.

Arsyad invited entrepreneurs to invest in IKN Nusantara while there is a chance. He is certain this project will be the new engine to enhance national economic growth.

"If we are waiting only until the economy is accelerating, it's not happening yet, this is the engine of growth," he concluded.

The government requested that the state civil apparatus or civil servants not worry if they will be transferred to IKN in East Kalimantan because once they were transferred later, the government will be already designed and built various facilities needed.

"We're building an ecosystem there as well. If you are looking for something at night, it will be there already," said Deputy Head of IKN Nusantara, Donny Rahajoe.

Donny explained that at this prime stage of development, seven private hospitals will be built. One of them is Hermina Hospital which will start operating in 2024.

"There are seven hospitals that want to invest already," Donny said.

Furthermore, nine international standard schools would also be built. One of them will be built by the Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS).

Donny said that in the early stage, the millennial state civil apparatus will be the first to be sent to work in IKN Nusantara.

The Ministry of Finance, for example, would move 150 state civil apparatus to IKN Nusantara later.

The plan was that the transfer of this state civil apparatus would begin in 2024. However, this transfer still had to wait for the Presidential Regulation as the legal basis.

"After the Presidential Regulation comes out, (the development of) IKN is complete, we move the state civil apparatus along with the basic needs," he concluded.

Writer: Adelina Wahyu Martanti.

Tommy Kurnia and Teddy Tri Setio Berty contributed to this report.