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Minister claims it's East Kalimantan as provinces scramble in race for new capital
National Development Planning Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said the capital relocation plan should not be seen as a competition between multiple regions.
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President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (third left), along with other officials, look at a map during a visit to Bukit Soeharto in Kutai Kartanegara regency, East Kalimantan, on May 7. Bukit Soeharto was one of several areas that had been suggested as the new capital city.
(Antara/Agus Salim)
F
ollowing months of vague hints and uncertainty, the government has determined that it will relocate the nation’s capital city to East Kalimantan, a minister has claimed.
Agrarian and Spatial Planning Minister Sofyan Djalil said the country’s capital would be moved to East Kalimantan. “Yes, correct, it’s East Kalimantan,” Sofyan said on Thursday as quoted by kompas.com.
However, he was still tight-lipped regarding which city would host the country’s new capital. He said he did not want to leak such information until the government had ensured land was available in the province.
“We don’t yet know the exact the location [of the new capital],” Sofyan said.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, however, has yet to confirm whether East Kalimantan was his go-to choice for the forthcoming relocation. “We’ll announce [the location] in time. I’m still waiting for [the results of] one or two more location scouts,” he told the press on Thursday.
Jokowi began looking for potential relocation spots in May. Bukit Soeharto – a 61,850-hectare forest in Kutai Kartanegara regency, East Kalimantan – was reportedly the President’s top pick.
Separately, National Development Planning Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said the capital relocation plan should not be seen as a competition between multiple regions.
