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Jokowi ponders two 'hills' in Kalimantan for new capital
"My field trips only have one goal, namely to get a feel [of the locations]. After I get a feel, the [budget] calculation will be easier. It will also be easier to make decision,” Jokowi says.
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President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (center), accompanied by a number of officials, looks at a map when visiting Gunung Mas Regency in Central Kalimantan on May 8.
(Antara/Akbar Nugroho Gumay )
A
ll eyes are now on Kalimantan as President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has fallen in love with two hills there – Bukit Soeharto (Soeharto Hill) and Gunung Mas (Golden Hill) – as he seeks the best place to relocate the capital from Jakarta.
“From the width of the area, this is the best place. Some 300 hectares is ready. If we need more, it can be expanded,” Jokowi said when inspecting the location in Gunung Mas regency, Central Kalimantan, on Wednesday.
In the province, Jokowi visited three locations – provincial capital Palangkaraya, Katingan regency and Gunung Mas regency. The President’s two-day visit to the island was to see several places that had been recommended for the new capital.
Read also: Jokowi says Bukit Soeharto suitable place for capital city
On Tuesday, Jokowi visited Bukit Soeharto in East Kalimantan. He said Bukit Soeharto, a 61,850 ha forest located in two regencies -- Panajam Paser Utara and Kutai Kartanegara – was a suitable place for a capital in terms of infrastructure.
He also cited the location of Bukit Soeharto, which is in between Samarinda and Balikpapan, the two largest cities in the province that have airports.
Previously, National Development Planning Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said the government was considering locations in four provinces -- Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, East Kalimantan and West Sulawesi – for the new capital.
Jokowi highlighted that founding president Sukarno had cited Palangkaraya as a future capital city. “It is impossible that such a decision was made without strong arguments based on the right data and facts,” said Jokowi as quoted by Antara.
Jokowi also cited that Kalimantan was the only location that was safe from earthquakes. If a location is selected, the infrastructure should be developed from the beginning, he added.
He said his two-day visit to Kalimantan was to study the locations that had been recommended.
“My field trips only have one goal, to get a feel [for the locations]. After I get a feel, the [budget] calculation will be easier. It will also be easier to make a decision,” Jokowi said during the visit to Gunung Mas.
Jokowi was accompanied by Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, National Development Planning Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro, Agrarian and Spatial Planning Minister Sofyan Djalil, Central Kalimantan Governor Sugianto Sabran and Gunung Mas Regent Arton Dohong. (bbn)
