TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The process to move Indonesia's capital city from Jakarta to Kutai Kartanegara District and Penajam Paser Utara District is targeted for completion by 2024, according to National Development Planning Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro. "We will be preparing the land and infrastructure, and starting the construction process at the end of 2020. (It is estimated) the moving process will be completed no later than 2024," Brodjonegoro said at a press conference at the State Palace, Jakarta, on Monday.

Penajam Paser Utara and Kutai Kertanegara in East Kalimantan Province will be the sites for the new capital city, according to the government.

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) elaborated that East Kalimantan had met the requirements to be the new capital city that entailed the minimum risk of natural disaster and its location at the heart of Indonesia.

The site is also close to big cities such as Balikpapan and Samarinda, and will be situated on 180 thousand hectares of government-owned land.

According to the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas), development of the new capital city will begin in 2020, and the construction of government buildings is targeted for completion in 2024.

The government would be requiring three thousand hectares of land to construct government offices in the first stage of development of the new capital city, Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Minister Sofyan Djalil had earlier stated.

The project is expected to cost up to Rp466 trillion (US$32.3 billion) to be covered by the State Budget (Rp74.44 trillion), Public-Private Partnership scheme (Rp265.2 trillion), and private investment (Rp127.3 trillion).

"For the draft law we have prepared an academic text which will be attached to the submission of the bill, and starting 2020 is a preparatory phase until the final can complete the master plan, building design and the legal basis," Brodjonegoro noted.

He reiterated that only government buildings would be moved to East Kalimantan, while business and financial activities would remain in Jakarta.

"[...] Jakarta will continue to be developed as an international-scale business center," Brodjonegoro said in conclusion.

ANTARA