Jakarta has been the capital city of Indonesia for many years, and even before Indonesia’s independence. However, the price of being capital city has been weighing Jakarta down, for there are a lot of problems that Jakarta experiences from traffic, flooding and many more. It is for those reasons, that the capital city will be moved into a new area.
Here are 8 important facts to know about the new capital city:
Two Regencies
Rather than just include one regency in East Kalimantan, the government has decided to connect two separate districts, namely the North Penajam Paser Regency and part of Kutai Kertanegara Regency. He mentions that out of all the locations, the most ideal one to be made into a capital city is the District of North Penajam Paser and partly in the Regency of Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan Province. This decision was made after President Jokowi stated that this decision was made after the government conducted an intensive 3-year-study on the possibility of a move.
5 Reasons Why East Kalimantan Was Chosen
Besides the location, there are 5 other reasons which made East Kalimantan the ultimate choice as the capital city. First, the government has mentioned that there is less of a risk of natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, forest fires, or landslides. Second, the location is considered to be strategic as it’s in the middle of Indonesia. Third, the location is near urban areas that have already developed, namely Balikpapan City and Samarinda City. Fourth, the infrastructure has mostly developed and is almost complete. Finally, it is the only location that has 180,000 hectares of government land.
Timeline for the New City
There are several stages to which the capital city will be moved. After the location of the capital city Indonesia’s Kotabaru was officially announced, the government will enter the preparatory stage. By the year 2020, the government will begin to finalize its regulations, master plan and its complete design. Construction will begin in the late 2020. Meanwhile, the process of moving the new capital will begin in 2024.
Economic Condition of the People in Kalimantan Regency
North Penajam Paser Regency has quite a lot and varied natural resources from forest resources, plantations, agriculture, fisheries, animal husbandry, mining and forestry. The economic potential is large for residents to increase their income and improve people’s welfare.
Population Count
Penajam Paser Utara consists of four regions, namely the sub-district of Babulu Sub-District, Waru Sub-District, Penajam Sub-District, and Sepaku Sub-District. Most of the population come from the island of Java, consisting of up to 60%. In the meantime, the rest of the population come from Sulawesi and also South Kalimantan. In total, the population totals up to 157,711.
Different Tribes That Live There
Other than its long history, Kalimantan region is also known to be inhabited by many tribes with a wide variety of cultural diversity. Some of the tribes that live in East Kalimantan include the Tunjung, the Benuaq, the Bentian, the Penihing, and the Bukat. Amazingly, these tribes are able to live in one area despite their differences.
Jakarta has been a city that never sleeps, a city full of liveliness-the center of all activities from government to business. However there are also a lot of problems that it experiences from flooding, traffic and occasional earthquakes. Moving the capital city will be a good move in itself, for it will benefit both the government and the people who live in the capital city.
What do you think about the government’s decision to move the capital city? Tell us your opinion in the comments section below.
