Indonesian authorities plan to complete the process of moving the capital from Jakarta to Nusantara by 2028, according to the head of the presidential administration, Muhammad Kodari.
“If there is only a presidential palace without legislative and judicial institutions, how can the government function effectively? All three branches of government must be represented in Nusantara,” the Jakarta Globe newspaper quotes him as saying.
He noted that the construction of all the buildings necessary for state institutions will be completed by 2028, in accordance with the instructions of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. “This will allow the [new] capital to truly meet the standards of a center of state power,” the Indonesian leader’s head of administration added.
Joko Widodo, who served as President of Indonesia from 2014 to 2024, proposed the idea of moving the capital of Indonesia from Jakarta in 2019. Initially, the metropolis was planned to be built on the island of Kalimantan by 2024. Almost 32 billion dollars was allocated for this purpose, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the project was suspended.
In mid-January 2022, the head of state announced that the new capital would be called Nusantara (meaning “archipelago”). On July 28, 2024, Joko Widodo traveled there to spend his first days in office, but on July 30, he returned to Jakarta, the current seat of government. After his election as president, Prabowo Subianto stated that he was committed to completing Nusantara and was prepared to relocate there.
The reason for this move was Jakarta’s extreme congestion: over 15,700 people live per square kilometer.
