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Indonesian President Joko Widodo is planning on moving the country's capital city from Jakarta to Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan. This move could help the economy grow evenly across the country, especially in attracting infrastructure investment.
Often described as a messy concrete jungle, Jakarta saw its population quickly rise to 10 million in 2016, an increase of nearly four percent from 2015. The city has gotten so crowded that the Indonesian government is debating on relocating the country’s capital city.
“The idea began in 1957, when the nation’s founding father, President Sukarno proposed the idea of moving the capital here to Palangkaraya in Central Borneo. Now, 60 years later, President Joko Widodo is taking it much more seriously and for a good reason. A recent research shows that Jakarta is literally sinking, seven centimeters every year to be exact. Today, 40 percent of the city is already below sea level,” said CGTN’s Silkina Ahluwalia.
Jakarta is located on the island of Java. 60 percent of Indonesia’s 250 million people reside on the coastline. By contrast, Palangkaraya is situated on the equator line and is home to only 230,000 people.
Moreover, the city is not prone to flooding, earthquakes or other major natural disasters.
However, there are also problems with Palangkaraya. First, the city is not built for being the capital, so the government would have to build infrastructure from scratch.
Second, there is the unavoidable tribal issue in Indonesia. Central Kalimantan is made up of more than 400 different tribal groups. Although changing the capital city might have positive implications, it could create conflict between various cultures.
“The residents here see the move as an opportunity but also as a threat. There are those who see the opportunities of employment and advanced infrastructure. But on the other hand, the traditional tribes here are concerned because it would mean bringing problems such as traffic, overpopulation and investments that could threaten their own businesses,” said anthropologist Marko Mahin.
Experts believe Indonesia’s development has become too focused on the island of Java. Relocating the capital city would spread out economic growth evenly across the country. The National Development Planning Board is hoping to finish its review by the end of 2017, on whether Palangkaraya is ready to be Indonesia’s new capital city.
(CGTN)
