Moving the Capital City will be Decided In 2019, Minister Says

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Bambang Brodjonegoro, National Development Minister and the Head of the National Development Planning Agency, revealed that the decision to move the capital city from Jakarta to Palangka Raya will be made in 2019.

"We'll have the decision in 2019. But the construction will not take a short amount of time. This is building a city from scratch. We want to build it from zero, not from an existing city," Bambang said on Monday, April 10, 2017.

Bambang said that currently, state officials are conducting a study by comparing a number of similar decisions made by other countries.

"We observe other countries as an example, Jakarta's current condition and the need to balance the economy outside of Java," Bambang said.

According to Bambang, the duration of moving process will depend heavily on the state officials' decision. "That would be up to the government's decision. How long it would be depend on the financing. We'll use a scheme that doesn't burden the State Budget," Bambang said.

Meanwhile, regarding the construction of a presidential palace in Palangka Raya, Bambang said that the most important thing is to have a functioning central government, not a physical building. "[It would be fine] as long as there's a Presidential Office, a presidential and ministry residency. Similar to what we have here in Jakarta," Bambang said.

ANTARA