[Jakarta, 18th Reuters]–The Indonesian parliament has passed a bill to relocate the capital from Jakarta to Kalimantan, Borneo. The Secretary of the National Development Planning Agency, Suharso, revealed on the 18th.
“The new capital has a central function and is a symbol of national identity and at the same time a center of new economic activity,” he said in parliament.
Mr. Suharso announced on the 17th that the name of the new capital will be “Nusantara”. It was chosen by President Joko and is said to mean “the archipelago.” According to parliamentary officials, the top executive of the new capital will be ministerial.
Jakarta, which has a population of 10 million, is suffering from chronic traffic jams, floods and air pollution, and several presidents have proposed relocation but have not realized it. Mr. Joko announced the plan in 2019, but progress was delayed due to the spread of the new coronavirus.
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