INDONESIAN President Joko Widodo‘s plan to move to Nusantara sometime this month has been canceled after key infrastructure such as water supply and electricity has not been completed on time.
The current administration scrambles to complete the new capital to serve as Jokowi’s legacy before he steps out of office in October.
The US$32-B project has encountered delays. The government has offered 95-year ownership rights in the new capital to attract investors.
Construction will be divided into five phases, with the last phase scheduled to be completed in 2045.
It was in 2010 when Jokowi first announced plans to relocate the new capital from Jakarta to Nusantara.
Jakarta’s rising sea levels and severe congestion due to overpopulation urged the government to enforce the ambitious plan of relocating and building the new capital from scratch in the middle of Borneo’s jungle in East Kalimantan province.
Despite the construction delays, the government will push through with its plan to host about 8,000 attendees for Independence Day on August 17 in Nusantara.
