Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has said that investing in the new capital (IKN) Nusantara is like buying the future.This is due to the benefits of various infrastructures, such as roads and the airport, which will be felt in the next few years
"Do not only think about today. The toll road from Balikpapan to IKN has not finished, you have to make a detour to reach IKN," Widodo said at the groundbreaking of the Astra Biz Center at IKN, East Kalimantan, on Tuesday.
With development, transportation access to IKN will get easier with the help of toll roads and a commercial airport, he added.
He then urged investors to invest in IKN before land prices shoot up.
"For now, the price is around Rp400 thousand–800 thousand (US$23–US$47) per meter. In Balikpapan, it can reach Rp1 million, and Rp200 million in Jakarta. However, the price at IKN may increase due to the high demand," he said.
He then lauded PT Astra Internasional for contributing to IKN's development by building the Astra Biz Center, an integrated service complex on 3.4 hectares of land, to accommodate the business activities of 11 companies under the Astra Group.
He also praised the construction of the Nusantara Botanical Garden by entrepreneurs who are members of the Nusantara Consortium.
"I want to deliver my gratitude because this is not merely business, but also a social aspect. This is their form of CSR (corporate social responsibility) in which they spent a lot of money. I want it to be completed," he said.
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The President expressed the hope that the Nusantara Botanical Garden would support IKN as a green, smart, and fun city.
"This must be seen as a city of the future," he emphasized.