The Indonesian government has postponed the relocation of civil
servants to the country’s future capital of Nusantara in East
Kalimantan, and outgoing president Joko Widodo says he won’t be going to
work there either until the new city’s airport is finished.
The hold-up in moving civil servants into the new capital is being
blamed on unfinished housing complexes and the digital infrastructure
needed to ensure a smooth transition.
Nusantara is being promoted as a sustainable, high-tech alternative
to the current overcrowded and sinking capital, Jakarta, situated on
Java Island.
The Indonesian government said last week that it is developing
Nusantara (IKN) as a city designed for the country's younger
generations.
"IKN is for Millennial and Gen Z people, not for me nor Mr. President
Joko Widodo. The city is designed as a future city for youngsters,"
said public works and public housing minister Basuki Hadimuljono,
speaking to news agency Antara.
It is projected that it may take Indonesia 10–15 years to complete
the construction of its future seat of government, which has not been
without its critics.
Environmentalists fear an ecological disaster caused by building a
capital city in one of the world's biggest swathes of rainforest, home
to rare and endangered species, including orangutans, proboscis monkeys
and clouded leopards.
There are also concerns that incoming president Prabowo Subiaco has
not expressed that same enthusiasm for the new capital as the man he
will replace.