TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo, or Jokowi, in leading a limited meeting at the Merdeka Palace on Thursday made it clear that Jakarta will not be abandoned after the central government is relocated to the new capital of Nusantara in Kalimantan.

“Jakarta will be improved and not abandoned. Don’t let such a perception grow,” said the President on Thursday, March 10, Antaranews reported.

Nusantara is planned to be built over a massive land space measuring up to 256,142 hectares with 68,189 hectares of ocean area located in East Kalimantan’s North Penajam Paser and Kutai Kartanegara. The President has also appointed the new Nusantara head and deputy head authority, Bambang Susantono and Dhony Rahajoe.

In the meeting, Jokowi highlighted the government’s plan to equally distribute economic gross domestic products and mentioned the economic discrepancy in Java island compared to other islands in Indonesia. This mega project will use up to Rp466 trillion in total, according to the government’s estimates.

“56 percent of Indonesians are in Java. The island’s economic GDP is 58 percent,” said the President. “I expect the new authority head and his deputy will recruit people in other regions. We must involve people and communicate to them the reason behind the move.”

The new capital city construction will be conducted in 5 phases. The first phase will take place between 2022 and 2024 that will see construction on urban facilities, basic infrastructure, the local economy supporting facilities, and the relocation of Armed Forces (TNI), Police, and National Intelligence Agency (BIN).

Read: Bambang Susantono - Dhony Rahajoe Officially Lead New Capital of Indonesia

ANTARA