JAKARTA, Sept 12 (Askume) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo will spend the final weeks of his term in the country’s proposed new capital Nusantara from Thursday as doubts remain over the pace of development of his flagship $32 billion mega-project.
Large-scale infrastructure development on the island of BorneoIt has faced a number of setbacks, including construction delays, land issues and a lack of foreign investment . In June this year, two senior officials suddenly took charge of NusantaraI resigned .
Outgoing leader Joko Widodo reiterated on Thursday that the end of Nusantara could take decades.
“It could take 10, 15 or even 20 years,” Jokowi told senior military and police officials at a meeting at his recently built eagle-shaped palace in Nusantara.
“Moving to a new capital does not just mean moving to a new building, palace or place. It is a change in the way of thinking and working,” he said.
To ease the existing burden of traffic congestion, severe pollution and dense population in the capital Jakarta, the parliament passed a law to move the capital in 2022.
But ahead of the swearing-in of newly elected President Prabowo Subianto and Jokowi’s eldest son, Vice-President Djibrand Rakabmin Rakka, on October 20, doubts are growing more and more about the future viability of Nusantara.
Analysts say Nusantara’s growth is unlikely to continue at the same pace under the next government.
Prabowo, who campaigned on a continuation of Jokowi’s policies, is expected to prioritize his own $28 billion “free nutritious meal program,” which aims to provide nutritious meals to schoolchildren in the world’s fourth most populous country in an effort to eliminate malnutrition and stunted growth.
Jokowi told officials on Thursday that Prabowo had promised to speed up construction.
Nusantara is located in the eastern part of the island of Borneo, about 1,200 kilometres (745 mi) from Jakarta.
Nusantara’s presidential palace and its first hotel were recently completed, while residences for state officials, an airport, and a toll road are still under construction.
On Friday, Jokowi will hold his second cabinet meeting in Nusantara and is likely to announce several new investments.
(1 USD = Rs 15,413,0000)
