President Jokowi Signs Law on Special Regional Province of Jakarta

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has signed Law Number 2 of 2024 on Special Regional Province of Jakarta. The Law was established because a special regional governance is deemed necessary in order to improve people’s welfare equitably and protect human rights by still respecting Jakarta’s history, characteristics, and identity.

“Jakarta holds a strategic function and role as the center for the national economy and as a global city that connects business center in Indonesia and other cities in the world, and significantly contributes to the national economy and state income as well as supports the people’s welfare,” the Law reads.

Article 1, paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Law state that the Special Regional Province of Jakarta is a provincial region that has special authority to run a government within the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. The special authority includes the implementation of functions as the center of the national economy and a global city.

This Law regulates the position and functions, boundaries and division of territories, principles and structure of government, city councils/district councils and sub-district deliberative institutions, government affairs and special authority, domestic and foreign cooperation, funding, and the Jakarta Special Region agglomeration area.

Article 63 regarding transitional provisions regulates that at the time this Law comes into force, Special Regional Province of Jakarta remains as the Capital of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia until a Presidential Decree concerning the transfer of the Capital of the Republic of Indonesia from the Special Capital Region of Jakarta Province to the Nusantara Capital (IKN) is stipulated in accordance with the provisions of laws and regulations.

In a bid to provide smooth implementation of the transfer of the capital, the administration of the Government and/or state affairs, including the domicile of state institutions, institutions and other organizations and their supporting instruments which, based on the provisions of statutory regulations, are domiciled in the nation’s capital, can still be carried out or domiciled in the territory of the Special Regional Province of Jakarta in accordance with the stages stated in in the presidential regulation that regulates the details of the IKN master plan.

Implementing regulations for this Law should be established no later than two years from the promulgation of this Law.

“This Law shall come into force as of the date of promulgation of a Presidential Decree concerning the transfer of the Capital of the Republic of Indonesia from the Special Capital Region of Jakarta Province to IKN,” Article 73 of Law Number 2 of 2024 reads. (UN) (RAS/MMB)