Wednesday, 15/01/2020 15:15 (GMT+7)
Indonesian President Joko Widodo on January 13th invited nations and businesses around the world to invest in the country’s soon-to-be-built administrative hub.
Speaking at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week during a visit to the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), he said Indonesia invites the world to bring the best technology to the new capital.
President Joko Widodo delivers his speech at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (Source: Indonesian Presidential Palace Press Bureau)
Widodo said that Indonesia has 1.4 million civil servants working for the central government, and with all of their family members combined, around 6 to 7 million people will move to the new capital.
He stressed the country does not want to just build a small-scale administrative capital, but a smart metropolis since the population will be three times that of Paris, and 10 times that of Washington DC. It will even equal the populations of New York and London, he added.
The development of the new capital must be supported with the latest technology, and the city must be a place for innovation and creativity while being environmentally friendly, and a place that provides happiness to its inhabitants, the Indonesian leader said.
With such a large population, it will also be important to pay attention to the urban lifestyle in the 21st century that is low-carbon and environmentally responsible.
In August last year, Widodo announced the decision to move the capital city from the overcrowded and congested Jakarta. East Kalimantan will be the site for the country’s new capital.
The relocation is estimated to cost 466 trillion rupiah (32.79 billion USD), of which the state will fund 19 percent, with the rest coming from public-private partnerships and private investment./.
CPV/VNA