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East Kalimantan proposes two cities as new capital
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East Kalimantan Governor Awang Faroek Ishak talks to journalists on the sidelines of a coordination meeting with Bank Indonesia (BI), the government and Kalimantan regional administrations in Balikpapan on July 14, 2017. (JP/Prima Wirayani)
E
ast Kalimantan Governor Awang Faroek Ishak has proposed the provincial capital of Balikpapan and Penajam Paser Utara as prospective locations for Indonesia's new capital city, should the central government proceed with its capital city relocation plan.
"[We propose them because] the President said the area must be at least 300,000 hectares in size," Awang told reporters on the sidelines of a coordination meeting with Bank Indonesia (BI), the government and Kalimantan regional administrations in Balikpapan on Friday.
East Kalimantan occupies a strategic location and has adequate infrastructure, such as an international airport and international port as well as an adequate electricity supply, the governor said, adding that the province was also relatively free from earthquakes and is currently developing water and nuclear-fueled power generators.
"We are ready," Awang said. "We're just waiting for the central government's instructions."
Previously, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) was conducting a feasibility study of three provinces one of which will be selected as the country’s capital city to replace the overburdened Jakarta.
Jokowi, however, refused to mention the names of the three provinces to prevent speculators from buying land to benefit from the capital city relocation.
Bappenas head Bambang Prodjonegoro said the new capital would be outside of Java, preferably in Kalimantan. Palangkaraya in Central Kalaimantan has been proposed as the new capital city ever since the country's founding president Sukarno declared his intention to locate the capital there. (bbn)
