Jokowi on Capital City Relocation: Not Jakarta's Fault
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26 August 2019 18:28 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo or Jokowi stated one of the reasons behind the relocation of the capital city was because Jakarta had been completely overwhelmed.
The city has been heavily burdened, starting from being the center of administration, businesses, finance, trade, and services. Also, the largest airport and port of Indonesia are located in the region.
“We cannot continuously burden Jakarta and Java island in terms of population number,” said the President during a press conference at the State Palace, Central Jakarta, Monday, August 26.
Additionally, he highlighted the city’s environmental conditions, which have been deteriorating due to severe congestion and worsening air quality because of pollution.
However, the President said he did not blame the Jakarta administration for those problems. “This is not Jakarta’s fault, but the huge burden placed by the Indonesian economy on Java Island and Jakarta,” he remarked.
Jokowi has finally pointed the regencies of North Penajam Paser and Kutai Kartanegara in East Kalimantan as the location of the new capital city after multiple studies conducted by the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas).
EGI ADYATAMA