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Luhut censures ex-Nusantara chief for indecisiveness
Without naming names, the senior minister lambasted the former IKN Authority leadership's lack of courage to "make decisions" for hamstringing progress in building the country's new capital, though he also claimed the project was still on target.
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Luhut Pandjaitan, coordinating maritime affairs and investment minister (JP/Seto Wardhana)
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senior minister has lambasted the former head and deputy head of the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) Authority, without mentioning them by name, saying they lacked the nerve to make key decisions regarding the project.
When asked to comment on the pair’s resignation, which was announced on Monday, Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan replied that the two had been equipped with laws and regulations to grow the authority as a strong institution, especially in progressing development of the nation’s new capital.
“Roughly speaking, if they had been able to make decisions, everything would have run [smoothly]. It is merely a leadership problem. But I don’t want to talk about other people’s flaws, just let it go,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
State Secretary Pratikno revealed at a surprise press conference on Monday morning that IKN Authority’s Bambang Susantono and Dhony Rahajoe had quit their respective posts as head and deputy head, citing a presidential decree that formalized their resignation that same day.
The pair’s resignation comes just over two months before the inauguration of Nusantara, scheduled to coincide with Independence Day celebrations on Aug. 17, with analysts raising a concern that the move could send a bad signal to potential investors.
Read also: IKN Authority leaders quit before new capital's August inauguration
Pratikno declined to elaborate the pair’s reason for quitting their posts, while the government has continued to keep the public in the dark despite calls for transparency.
