New Capital Must Be Strategic, Disaster Free, Minister Says

Development Planning Minister in a discussion held by the Office of the Presidential Staff (KSP), Jakarta, Monday (6/5). (Photo by: PR of KSP)

The plan to move Indonesian capital from Jakarta to outside Java is made to make the country’s national development more ‘Indonesia-centric’, while Jakarta will remain a business and financial center, according to Minister of National Development Planning/Head of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) Bambang Brodjonegoro.

The Minister also explained the ideal requirements for new capital.

“First, the city must be strategically located in the center of Indonesia and second, the area must be large enough and free from disaster threats such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, forest fires, and others,” Bambang said in Jakarta, Monday (6/5).

The Government, Bambang added, will also make sure that the location of the new capital have abundant water resources, is free from environmental pollution and near to the existing cities, and has minimum potential conflict in which the people in the area have a welcoming attitude toward migrants. The location must also fulfill national security perimeter, he added.

Bambang went on to say that there would be two scenarios in terms of the capacity of population, with the first one being the population in the new area will be 1.5 million people and the other one being a city with population of 870 thousand people.

“With that being said, Indonesia new territory development will shift focus to outside Java which is already over-populated,” he added.

Previously, Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko on a separate occasion said that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo had expressed hope to see the progress of the study conducted by the Bappenas regarding the capital’s relocation.

“The plan (to move the capital city) is based on the Government’s consideration as well as suggestions from the public,” Moeldoko said. (EN/PR of KSP/ES)

 
Translated by: Syarifah Aisyah
Edited by: Estu Widyamurti/M. Ersan Pamungkas