Jakarta (ANTARA) - The government discussed the archetype of the new capital city in East Kalimantan and will begin the construction of basic infrastructure in the first semester of 2020, Minister of National Development Planning/Head of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), Suharso Monoarfa, said.
"The archetype of the new capital city has been discussed but according to the timeline, hopefully, the construction (of the city) can start in 2021," Monoarfa said here on Monday.
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According to the minister, the construction of basic infrastructure such as roads can begin in the first half of 2020.
During the meeting on the relocation of the capital city, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) reiterated that the move would also affect the development of the economy and education, as well as research and innovation centers, in addition to the relocation of government buildings.
The relocation of the capital city is aimed at encouraging economic transformation outside Java Island.
Jokowi said that the development of the new capital city should consider the movement of the basic economy toward a smart economy, and it is expected to mark the transformation process of productivity, creativity and the national industry.
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The new capital city is also designed to become the center of research and innovation that applies smart energy and smart food production to boost the development of small and medium-scale enterprises.
The president has decided to relocate the capital city to North Penajam Paser and Kutai Kertanegara in East Kalimantan Province as it has a minimum disaster risk, and is located at the center of Indonesia close to the already developed cities of Balikpapan and Samarinda.
The development of the new capital city would need an area of 256 thousand hectares.
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