Central Government Urged to Address the Fate of PPU as the Closest Region to IKN
The Penajam Paser Utara Regency (PPU) government in East Kalimantan currently feels it is receiving insufficient attention from the central government regarding development. Yet, the region is the closest to the Nusantara Capital (IKN). The pace of development in the prospective Indonesian capital city is not matched by progress in PPU, which bears the city branding “Gerbang Nusantara,” especially since one sub-district, Sepaku, falls within PPU’s territory.
“Regarding the development issues between IKN and PPU Regency, well, it’s difficult—it’s just not in line,” stated PPU Regent Mudyat Noor to Media Indonesia on Thursday (2/4) in Penajam.
Mudyat explained that he has attempted to coordinate with several ministries to prevent a vast gap between IKN and PPU, but has yet to receive any actual and factual response.
“Indeed, it’s still in the positive discussion phase, but we don’t know yet how the implementation will turn out,” he said.
If relying on PPU’s regional budget (APBD) for funding, it is clearly insufficient, and it would be very challenging with the current APBD allocation. Moreover, fiscal space is extremely tight for such purposes.
According to Mudyat, the most important thing is to promptly gain attention from the central government to avoid a chasm between PPU and IKN, particularly in terms of road infrastructure, clean water, and agricultural irrigation.
It should be noted, he added, that PPU Regency, with its new identity or city branding as Gerbang Nusantara, must prepare for the presence of IKN. This preparation primarily involves supporting infrastructure and tourism facilities.
Mudyat acknowledged that his administration is currently seeking support from the central government by proposing the construction of the Riko River Bridge to the Ministry of Public Works (PU). The result is that a design review has now been conducted by the East Kalimantan Provincial Government.
“The Sepaku River Bridge design review has been carried out at the provincial level, valued at Rp8 billion, and this year it will be completed before we submit it to the state budget (APBN), directly to the Ministry of Public Works for implementation in 2027,” he explained.
He views the Riko River Bridge as a gateway to accelerating development in PPU, as it will provide transportation access from the Balang Island Toll Road and the IKN VVIP Airport directly to Penajam Sub-district or the PPU Regency capital area.
If the bridge is built and operational, the travel time from Balikpapan City to Penajam Sub-district will be cut by about 30 minutes from the previous 1.5 hours. Residents travelling to Balikpapan from Penajam Sub-district or vice versa will no longer need to detour through Riko or Sepan villages as they do now.
“Thus, with this bridge, the travel distance becomes shorter, and there will be no more barriers between Balikpapan and PPU. Interest in investing or living in PPU will rise, as the regency will be like Balikpapan City. This will certainly open new economic opportunities,” Mudyat added.
Separately, Arif Afandi, Secretary of the PPU Planning, Research, and Development Agency (Bapelitbang), confirmed that the Riko River Bridge construction plan has entered the design adjustment phase. This stage is necessary to update the design to match current conditions.
“The design review has received funding from the East Kalimantan Provincial Government for 2026. Meanwhile, the estimated construction cost is around Rp1.2 trillion, an increase from previous calculations,” he stated.
He noted that the Riko River Bridge proposal has been discussed with the central government and is included in the list of National Strategic Projects (PSN). Besides the bridge, PPU has also proposed other projects such as the Gerak Telake weir and the Lawe-Lawe dam.
“The direction is to strengthen development in the IKN supporting region. The bridge has a span of about 1-1.5 kilometres, long and short, and the road from Nenang Village, Penajam, to the Buluminung Industrial Area (KIN) is about 7-8 kilometres.
“The main access is the Buluminung area, which is a key point for industrial development. Of course, travel time from Balikpapan to PPU will become even shorter, around 30 to 40 minutes via the winding land route,” he concluded.