Indonesian President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, held his first cabinet meeting in the projected new capital, Nusantara, on Monday, hoping to convince investors that the $32 billion mega-project is still on schedule. This endeavour comes as Jokowi prepares to stand aside in October after serving a maximum of two terms.
Nusantara, announced years ago as a landmark infrastructure project, was expected to alleviate Jakarta’s congestion, sinking, and overpopulation problems. However, the project has encountered severe problems, such as building delays and a lack of foreign funding.
During the meeting, Jokowi emphasised that Nusantara marks a momentous new chapter for Indonesia, characterising it as a “canvas on which we can carve out our future.” The new capital, strategically positioned on the island of Borneo, 1,200 kilometers from Jakarta, aims to encourage balanced development throughout Southeast Asia’s largest economy, which has long been dominated by the island of Java, accounting for 58% of total GDP.
Almost all 34 cabinet members attended the meeting, including Defence Minister and President-elect Prabowo Subianto, who will be inaugurated on October 20th. Jokowi expressed confidence that Prabowo will continue to support the project, and Prabowo pledged to complete it if possible.
