Indonesia’s outgoing president Joko Widodo started working this week from the country’s unfinished new capital “Nusantara” on the island of Borneo, 1,200km away from the rest of his government in Jakarta, Associated Press (AP) reports.
He told reporters he intended to work from the construction site until he steps down on 20 October, when president-elect Prabowo Subianto assumes office.
“Today I have started receiving officials for meetings here, in the president’s office,” Widodo said as crews raced to finish buildings and infrastructure ahead of Independence celebrations on 17 August, the day Nusantara was meant to become the official capital.
The president’s team was preparing necessary furniture for the presidential palace, AP said.
Electricity, internet, and water were “all running well,” said Widodo, who has championed the scheme since 2019, on the grounds that Jakarta was sinking and too congested.
He said his first agenda item on Monday was a meeting with executives of the Nusantara development authority.
Meetings with provincial leaders were also on the agenda.
Doubts persist
The city in East Kalimantan province, also known as IKN, is planned to be home to 2 million people by 2045, but doubts about its viability persist.
The cost of building the city is estimated to be $33bn.
Some 80% of that was meant to come from private investment, but investors have been slow to commit, despite generous incentives.
The 20% coming from the state budget will fund construction of buildings and infrastructure only in the core government area.
Doubts intensified in June when the head of the state body responsible for building Nusantara suddenly resigned along with his deputy.
Unfinished buildings
According to AP, most of the buildings are unfinished.
The new state palace is 88% complete, and several ministry buildings are usable only on their lower floors.
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