Prabowo Orders Increased Security for Palm Oil Amid Foreign Interest
30/12/2024 (Tempo.Co), Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto has instructed the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police (Polri), in conjunction with regional officials, to enhance security measures around palm oil plantations throughout Indonesia. This directive stems from his belief that Indonesia's palm oil commodities are being actively targeted by foreign nations.
“They really need our palm oil. It turns out that palm oil is a strategic material,” Prabowo said during a speech at the National Development Planning Meeting 2025-2029, which was broadcast online via the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube channel on Monday, December 30, 2024.
The IKN Authority has already completed eight groundbreaking phases between 2023 and 2024, securing a total investment of Rp58 trillion to date.
Alongside the Phase 9 plans, Basuki revealed that Taman Safari has expressed interest in establishing a presence in the IKN. He affirmed that several potential locations have already been identified. Currently, the tourism company is in the process of securing sponsors and investors.
“They have visited [IKN], and I have visited their office. We will discuss it more seriously,” said the former Minister of Public Works and Housing (PUPR) from 2019-2024.
The construction of the new capital city in East Kalimantan is estimated to require a total budget of Rp466 trillion. The administration of Indonesia's 7th President, Joko Widodo or Jokowi, designed a funding model with only 20 percent allocated from the State Budget, with the remaining 80 percent expected to come from private investment.
Jokowi has repeatedly emphasized the long-term value of investing in the IKN, stating that it was akin to "buying the future". He reiterated this message during the groundbreaking ceremonies for the Astra Biz Center and Nusantara Botanical Garden on June 4, 2024. However, despite these efforts, the total investment secured by the end of Jokowi's term and even by the end of this year remains below the IKN Authority’s target of Rp100 trillion for 2024.