[ad_1]
Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Vice President Ma’ruf Amin chair a full cabinet meeting at the Garuda Palace in the capital of Nusa Tenggara State (IKN) in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, August 12, 2024. | Photo credit: Reuters
Indonesian President Joko Widodo holds first cabinet meeting in the capital Nusantara’s future capitalwith construction sites stretching for miles, and questions have been raised about the sustainability of this ambitious mega-project.
Two weeks ago, Widodo began working in the city, at an office on the construction site of a new palace built to resemble the mythical eagle Garuda, a symbol of Indonesia. Less than a week later, the city will host its first Independence Day celebrations.
Explanation | Why did Indonesia move its capital?
Widodo, who appeared in front of the presidential palace with his successor, President-elect Prabowo Subianto, insisted the controversial $33 billion construction project was worth it.
“The Maharashtra capital is a canvas for the future. Not all countries have the opportunity and capability to build their capital from scratch,” Mr Widodo said.
Mr Subianto vowed that his government would continue building the new city after it takes office on October 20.
“We will definitely complete it, even though this outline plan is decades long, just like other capitals, it also took a long time. We should not force it, but I am optimistic that in five years it will be running well,” Mr Subianto said.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the Vice Presidential Palace and some privately funded buildings was also held on Monday (August 12, 2024).
The government expects to pay only 20% of the planned $3 billion budget, relying heavily on private sector investment to build key infrastructure and public facilities.
To attract investment, Widodo earlier this month offered investors new capital incentives, including land use rights for up to 190 years.
Construction of the new city begins in mid-2022 after President Widodo announced plans to move the capital to Jakarta, a polluted, traffic-choked, earthquake-prone metropolis that is rapidly sinking.
Officials say it will be a futuristic green city centered on forests and parks, using renewable energy and smart waste management, covering an area of about 2,600 square kilometers (1,000 square miles).
“Cool air, clean air, we dream of a green capital, whether it’s energy, electric cars, environment, air or everything else,” Widodo told reporters.
But the project, which takes land from the Borneo jungle, has been criticized by environmentalists and indigenous communities who say it damages the environment, further shrinks habitat for endangered animals such as orangutans, and displaces indigenous people who depend on the land for their livelihoods.
[ad_2]
Source link
