Indonesian president holds first cabinet meeting in new capital

At the first cabinet meeting in the new capital Nusantara on August 12, Indonesian President Joko Widodo said: "The capital Nusantara is a picture of the future. Not every country has the opportunity and ability to build its capital from scratch," and affirmed that this $33 billion construction effort will be well worth it.

Appearing alongside his successor, President-elect Prabowo Subianto pledged that his administration would continue building the new city after taking office on October 20.

"We will definitely complete it even though the draft plan is decades long, like other capitals that also take a long time. We should not rush, but I am optimistic that in five years, the city can be operational very well," said Mr. Subianto.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (center) and Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto (right) at the new capital Nusantara in Penajam Paser Utara, East Kalimantan province, Indonesia, August 12. Photo: Indonesian Presidential Palace

Mr. Widodo started work in the city two weeks ago, in an office inside a massive new palace under construction shaped like the country’s national symbol, the Garuda eagle. The city will celebrate its first Indonesian Independence Day in less than a week.

August 12 also marked the groundbreaking ceremony for the Vice President's residence and several privately funded buildings.

The government plans to pay 20 percent of the planned $33 billion budget, relying largely on private investment to build critical infrastructure and public utilities.

In a bid to attract investment, earlier this month Mr Widodo granted investors new capital incentives, including land-use rights of up to 190 years.

Officials said Nusantara will be a futuristic green city centered around forests and parks, using renewable energy sources and smart waste management, spanning an area of ​​about 2,600 square kilometers.

"We hope this will be a green capital in terms of energy, electric vehicles, environment and everything, with clean, cool air," Mr Widodo told reporters.

However, the project, which uses soil dug from the Borneo jungle, has also been criticized by environmentalists and indigenous communities because it is believed to degrade the environment, reduce the habitat of endangered animals such as orangutans, and displace indigenous people who rely on the land for their livelihoods.

Construction on the new city is set to begin in mid-2022, after Mr Widodo announced plans to move the capital away from Jakarta, which is polluted and congested, prone to earthquakes and sinking rapidly due to rising sea levels.

Hoai Phuong (according to AP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/tong-thong-indonesia-to-chuc-cuoc-hop-noi-cac-dau-tien-tai-thu-do-moi-post307469.html