Dialogue between President of the Republic of Indonesia and Journalists on the Capital City of Nusantara, in North Penajam Paser Regency, East Kalimantan Province, 14 March 2022

Reporter

Good afternoon.

 President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Good afternoon.

 Reporter

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to have a dialogue. First of all, I would like to congratulate you because this morning we have witnessed a milestone for Indonesian nation through the ritual of uniting the waters and the soils from Indonesian archipelago at the Zero Kilometer of the Capital City of Nusantara. Congratulation, Pak. We start the relocation of a new capital city.

So, I would like to ask you, what is the philosophy behind the location chosen for the zero kilometer?

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Well, it was calculated by Ministry of Public Works using geospatial method, the point is right there; but here, this very spot is for the palace.

Reporter

I see, so this is the spot of the palace.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

This is the spot of the palace. This is the highest place from the sea level, about 80 meter above sea level, this is the highest location. So, we can see …

Reporter

See the incredible nature, right.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

From all sides, on the right and left sides.

Reporter

Before we continue, Pak, we would like to get permission to put our masks off because we all have followed the health protocol, have had PCR and swab tests, so we could greet the viewers better.

For Indonesian people, relocating the capital city can give a lot of benefits, among others, to create an even development, and also to dismiss the perception that all developments are centralized in Java Island. So, what is the idea behind the decision to choose Kalimantan Island as the location of the new capital city?

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Well, it has been a lengthy process. The idea of relocating the capital city had been decided by Bung Karno maybe in 1957, but due to the upheaval, the idea was held back, and never realized. President Soeharto also had the idea to relocate the capital city from Jakarta to West Java, but it never realized because the 1998 incident. During the era of President SBY, many researches were done to relocate the capital city for many reasons.

In 2014, I ordered Minister of National Development Planning Board to reopen and start the research again. So, we have named some locations, a lot of locations, and then narrow the selection to three names. Then, the decision comes to East Kalimantan, in North Penajam Paser and Kutai Kartanegara, because this is the central point if we measure it from the west, the east, the north, the south, here is the central point. It is also decided for many reasons, because the available area is here.

But most importantly, the relocation is for an even and fair distribution, because we have 17 thousand islands, and 56 percent of the population are in Java, 156 million of Indonesian population reside in Java Island. Meanwhile, we have 17 thousand islands. Furthermore, on the economic gross domestic products (GDP), 58 percent of the economic flow occurs in Java Island, particularly in Jakarta. What is that supposed to mean? The magnet is located in Java Island and Jakarta. Therefore, there should be another magnet. So, of 17 thousand islands, the people will not be all heading to Java, to Java, and to Java. So, the Java Island and Jakarta in particular will not be burdened even more. So, it is started from an even and fair distribution.

Reporter

So, the economic flow is shown already because we have heard that by organizing this event, all accommodations have been fully booked. It means that just by organizing one event, the local economy is supported significantly.

In this regard, Bapak has explained that the research has been conducted since a long time ago. So, how much budget is needed to relocate the capital city to Kalimantan and after it is calculated, where does the budget come from?

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

So far, the calculation is approximately Rp466 trillion. More or less, 19-20 percent will be derived from the State Budget, and the rest may be derived from Public Private Partnership (PPP), Cooperation of Government and Enterprises (KPBU), pure private sector investment, State-Owned Enterprises, or we can also issue public bonds. We can do all of it. I think we want the authority to be flexible and agile, and can have funding schemes of all available schemes.

Reporter

If we talk about flexibility, it means that there will be phases and priorities. So, how long it takes approximately to complete the relocation of the capital city of Nusantara and to build it, and will it go through some phases?

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

This is a gigantic work. A colossal work. So, it is not an easy work. It is a complicated work that takes a long time. We estimate that the work will take about 15-20 years to be completed.

We hope that by establishing the authority, designing the Chairperson of Authority and Vice Chairperson of Authority, we already have the authority that will prepare the institution and do a more detailed planning, such as the Detail Engineering Design and others. So, the realization will be shown. But, most importantly, the basic infrastructure should be initiated immediately.

Reporter

So, this morning’s ritual means that we have officially started the establishment of the IKN (the Capital City of Nusantara), doesn’t it, Pak?

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Yes, I am glad indeed that this morning, all the governors gathered here bringing the soil and water from their respective province, and then it is all united here. This means that it is a great power of our great country Indonesia. The supports given from all provinces in the country will be a complete unity and a good potential for the initiative to establish the Capital City of Nusantara.

Reporter

Belongs to Indonesian people. I have quoted it from Bapak’s previous remark, incredible. Pak, I have also heard that the commemoration of the Independence Day on 17 August will be focused in the area of the Capital City of Nusantara. Could you please share the details?

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Well, it is the plan. Some ministers suggested to commemorate the Independence Day on 17 August 2024. We will see that later. If the palace and some ministries are already established and maybe other facilities are also established, it will be possible. But we will decide it later after we see the progress.

Reporter

Perhaps, this will be my last question. We are now standing on the highest spot, according to Bapak’s explanation.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Yes, the spot of the palace.

Reporter

This will be the spot of the palace and we can see an incredible view. Is nature will also be included in the concept, one of the crucial concepts to establish the Capital City of Nusantara?

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

The concept of the Capital City of Nusantara is a forest city, it means that the forest will be kept green like this. But the area used for the capital city is a forest of monoculture industrial planting with homogenous plant which will be cut down every seven years. So, in the future, we will build nurseries that will produce about 20 million plant seeds per year, and later we will plant them to rehabilitate the forest in the Capital City of Nusantara.

So, instead of monoculture, it will be endemic. Local plants that can attract animals to inhabit it, the birds to inhabit it, and the butterflies to inhabit it. So, this is what we are going to do, to rehabilitate the forests and to do reclamation in used mining areas because so many forests have been utilized by the people and some of them should be recovered and rehabilitated.

Reporter

To increase the sustainability, right?

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Yes.

Reporter

Finally, Bapak, what would you like to say about the meaning of the Capital City of Nusantara after the establishment and relocation, what is the aim of having a new capital city?

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

Well, once again, this is a colossal work, a demanding one. Therefore, it needs collaborations, cooperation with central government, regional government, private sector, State-Owned Enterprises, the people, Indonesian Military, Indonesian Police, and all of components of the nation, so we can use all the supports to a large extent in order to accelerate the establishment of the Capital City of Nusantara.

Reporter

That is remarkable. Thank you, Pak, for your time. Once again, congratulation for the historical moment of Indonesian nation that we have observed this morning, and hopefully all the preparations and establishment of the Capital City of Nusantara will proceed smoothly. Thank you.

President of the Republic of Indonesia (Joko Widodo)

You are welcome. I thank you.

(AW/HD/LW)