Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced on Monday (August 26th) that a site on the eastern side of the island of Borneo had been chosen to transfer the country's political capital out of Jakarta, a megalopolis congested and threatened by rising water levels.
The site was first chosen "because it presents a low risk of natural disaster", flood, earthquake, tsunami or volcanic eruption, said the president in a speech, while a large part of the Indonesian archipelago is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire.
The new site was also selected "because its location is strategic, it is in the center of Indonesia," he noted.
The proposed site, between the towns of Balikpapan and Samarinda, is located in a rainforest area with high biodiversity. Environmental protectors are already worried about the risk posed by the project for endangered species.
The idea of moving the Indonesian capital has been discussed for decades and was supported by Sukarno, the first leader of independent Indonesia.
A move to 33 billion dollars
The government will draft a law that will be proposed to Parliament to take the change of capital, said the president who estimated at some $ 33 billion the cost of the operation.
After a preparatory phase in 2020, the move of government institutions should begin from 2024, said the Minister of Planning, Bambang Brodjonegoro.