TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Following the government's plan to move the capital city, currently, there are two provinces that have been named as the strongest potential destination: Central Kalimantan, and East Kalimantan. Regional government in the East Kalimantan provinces had expressed their multiple times.

"We have presented East Kalimantan condition twice, and assured the government that East Kalimantan is ready to become the nation's capital, however, until today there has been no confirmation on the appointment. We’ll wait for the central government's decision. We hoped that East Kalimantan can be appointed as the new capital," said Chief of East Kalimantan Regional Development Agency Zairin Zain on Thursday, June 6, 2019.

Zairin said that the East Kalimantan regional government had met with the Domestic Affairs Ministry twice to present their readiness. He added that the government must make a decision this year because the plan was to begin the development of the new capital in 2020.

Previously, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo had visited the 62 hectares wide Bukit Soeharto Forest Park, an area prepared for the new capital. Jokowi said that there are three requirements in appointing a new capital based on a study conducted by the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas).

The requirements are, according to Bappenas, the area must be located close to an international airport; it must be close to an international seaport; and it has to be safe from natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and tsunami.

Based on those requirements, the Bukit Soeharto Forest Park, which is close to the Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman international airport, the APT Pranoto international airport, the Kariangau seaport, and Semayang seaport, is the ideal candidate to replace Jakarta.

The area is also considered safe from natural disasters because it is not within the vicinity of an active volcano.

ANTARA