TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo or Jokowi emphasized that the new capital transfer from Jakarta to Nusantara Capital City (IKN) won’t be forced before the infrastructure is ready.

The Jakarta Special Status Law passed in April 2024 was the legal basis for the capital city relocation. Jakarta’s status as Indonesia’s capital city will not change before the president issues a Presidential Decree.

Nevertheless, the commemorative ceremony for the 79th Indonesian Independence Day will be held in IKN in August 2024, according to the Acting Deputy Head of the IKN Authority, Raja Juli Antoni.

The Public Works and Housing Minister and Acting Head of the IKN Authority, Basuki Hadimuljono also confirmed the readiness of the facilities in IKN for the August 17 ceremony. The President will carry out a final inspection before the event to ensure all preparations run smoothly.

Presidential Decree on Capital City Relocation

Jokowi said there’s a chance of the Presidential Decree on capital city relocation being inked by future presidential administrations depending on the construction progress at IKN.

“The Presidential Decree could be issued before or after October, depending on the situation at hand,” Jokowi said on Monday, July 8, adding that the decision to relocate to Nusantara would hang on the readiness of water, electricity, and other basic infrastructures in the area.

The government has previously signaled that they would determine the right time to issue the two regulations on capital city transfer, Jakarta’s status law and the Presidential Decree. This was intended to avoid a big time gap between the two regulations and “ensure that everything runs smoothly,” said a Presidential Special Staff Dini Purwono in March this year.

PUTRI SAFIRA PITALOKA | MICHELLE GABRIELA

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