Jokowi proposes moving Indonesia’s capital from Jakarta to Borneo island
- President Joko Widodo made the formal proposal in parliament, saying a capital city is a ‘symbol of national identity’
- He also said the country should process more natural and mineral resources domestically
Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Friday formally proposed a plan to move the country’s capital from Jakarta, on the crowded island of Java, to Kalimantan on the island of Borneo.
Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, made the proposal during his state-of-the-nation speech at parliament, a day before the country celebrates its 74th independence anniversary.
“I hereby request your permission to move our national capital to Kalimantan,” said Widodo, who will be sworn in for a second term in October after winning April’s election.
“A capital city is not just a symbol of national identity, but also a representation of the progress of the nation. This is for the realisation of economic equality and justice,” he said, without specifying the exact location for the new capital.
He also said in his address that Indonesia should push further to develop a downstream industry to process natural and mineral resources domestically and bolster Southeast Asia’s largest economy.
Widodo listed minerals such as bauxite and nickel, as well as coal, palm oil and fisheries, as the type of resources Indonesia should process more of onshore to increase their value before exporting.
Indonesia is a major exporter of resources such as nickel ore and talks of expediting a mineral export ban due in 2022 sent London nickel prices to a 16-month high earlier this month, while Shanghai nickel hit a record high.
“We need disruptive innovations that are turning impossibilities into opportunities,” Widodo told the parliament.
