After Jakarta's Congestion: Indonesia Builds a New Capital

Two ministers in Indonesia announced today, Wednesday, that the country will allocate 40.6 trillion rupees (2.7 billion dollars) for the construction of its new capital in the 2024 budget, and that the presidential palace and 12 residential complexes for workers are scheduled to be completed next year. The Southeast Asian nation stated in 2019 that it would build a new capital called Nusantara on the island of Borneo to replace the overcrowded and flood-prone Jakarta. The total cost of constructing the new city is expected to reach 32 billion dollars by the time it is completed in 2045. The government has already invested 32 trillion rupees in basic infrastructure, including the construction of a dam and a toll road. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati indicated that 35 trillion rupees of the 2024 budget will be allocated to the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, which will develop infrastructure and housing for civil service employees.