Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokwi) has appealed to the parliament and citizens of Indonesia to support the government's plan to move the capital from Jakarta, located on the island of Java, to Borneo.
"I ask you to approve and support the transfer of the national capital to Kalimantan," the president said in his State of the Union address on the eve of the country's 74th anniversary celebrations, using the Indonesian name for Borneo. ».
The president of the Provincial Assembly, one of the two chambers of Indonesia's national parliament, Osman Sabata Odang, expressed support for the plan.
"We support the plan and it must be implemented as soon as possible," Othman told the plenary session of parliament yesterday. The exact location of the new capital has yet to be announced.
One proposed site for the new capital is a forested area near Balikpapan, east of Kalimantan. Experts say Borneo is not at risk of earthquakes or volcanic eruptions.
The government is seeking to start relocating the capital from Jakarta to its new location in 2024, the end of Jokoy's second term. Earlier this year, National Development Planning Minister Bambang Prudonigoro said the cost of moving the capital was $ 33 million.