Moving the Capital City

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO

President Joko Widodo (center), accompanied by Vice President Jusuf Kalla (right), leads discussion on plans to move the state capital during a limited Cabinet meeting on April 29, 2019 at the Presidential Palace in Central Jakarta. The President said any plan to move the capital city required careful consideration of geopolitical and geostrategic aspects, supporting infrastructure and available funding. The idea of moving the capital city has been floated since the first Indonesian president, Sukarno.

The plan to move the country\'s capital city from Jakarta emerged again when President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo reopened discourse about the issue early this week.

The discourse about moving the capital from Jakarta is not new at all. President Sukarno had named Palangkaraya a candidate for the new capital city. Soeharto had planned to move the capital to Jonggol, West Java, while Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had also discussed the same issue.

Jokowi reopened the discourse in 2017 and earlier this week. The reason for moving the capital outside Java, according to the President, was, among other things, due the density of Java and to encourage growth outside Java.

Java holds more than half of Indonesia\'s population and account for 58 percent of the national economy. We once moved the capital to Yogyakarta in 1946 and to Bukittinggi in 1949. The United States, Australia and Malaysia, for example, have separated their centers of government from their centers of economy.

According to the experiences of several countries, some have succeeded and some have failed.

Greater Jakarta has a population of about 30 million people. Jakarta is experiencing acute traffic congestion problems even though public transportation continues to be improved. Jakarta, which is located on the shoreline, is at risk of being affected by climate change, namely rising sea levels.

There are advantages in developing a city from scratch. The city can, for example, be built with good spatial planning so as to ensure that it does not grow sporadically. Another option is to choose an existing city to be developed as the capital of the country.

A number of things must be considered when choosing the location of the capital city of the country. Among them are cultural readiness, availability of basic infrastructure, security from natural disasters, the size of the area, economic potential and a strategic geographic location domestically and globally.

The budget must also be considered. National Development Planning Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro estimated that the cost of moving the capital could reach Rp 466 trillion (US$33.28 billion).

The private sector should be invited to participate in the process so that moving the capital will not put a burden on the state budget. Even though various studies have been conducted, mistakes can occur, including the choice of location.

In addition, the plan should also be in line with the Constitution and should obtain approval from the legislature. If the urgency to move the capital is to reduce the pressure on Java, the government should instead continue to consistently build infrastructure between regions and in new cities that continue to grow outside Java so that they can become new growth centers.

In the end, the most important question must be answered; it must be asked whether we really need to move the capital city in the next five to 10 years in the midst of limited funds and many other development priorities.

In our archipelagic nation, which has a high potential for natural disasters, building the resilience of cities in food, health, education and energy is very urgent, in line with the government\'s priority in human development.

The development of manpower and institutions can create new entrepreneurs, especially outside Java, allowing them to become a reliable engine of economic growth.