REMOVAL OF CAPITAL CITY : JAKARTA TO KUTAI KARTANEGARA

Government plans to move the capital city from Jakarta, outside of Java. However, some observers consider this to be unnecessary.
Severe traffic congestion, flooding and increasing urbanization are considered to have made Jakarta no longer worthy of being a capital city. Some cities in Kalimantan are said to be alternatives to new capitals.

However, urban planning experts from Trisakti Nirwono Yoga University told VOA that Jakarta is still worthy of being a capital city because of the massive investments that have been made, even for the next few years. According to him, the Provincial Government of DKI Jakarta must focus on solving problems that have been wrapped around the capital city.


"Because for now even for the next 10 years until 2030, it can be said there is no urgency to move the capital city from Jakarta," Yoga said.

According to Yoga, enormous investment for Jakarta infrastructure, such as the construction of Integrated Transportation Modes (MRT) and Integrated Railroad (LRT) can only be enjoyed by 2030. In addition, there is hope that flooding and traffic jams must be resolved by 2030.

"It means, if it is used as a benchmark, Jakarta is still worthy of being the capital. If not, why do we invest heavily and then we do not believe that Jakarta will be free from flooding and traffic jams, "Nirwono told VOA.



Nirwono added that instead of spending Rp466 trillion to build a new capital city, it would be better if the money was distributed to other cities to be developed into new centers of economic growth and residents do not need to come to big cities like Jakarta to look for jobs and better livelihoods.

"When we talk about Java first, besides Jabodetabek, Bandung, Semarang and Surabaya, the city is already ready. The funds do not need to be large, we just have to push them in the direction of where they want to focus on, direct development, "said Nirwono.


While the excess funds can be used for cities in Sumatra, for example for Medan, Padang, Palembang, or for Pontianak West Kalimantan and Sulawesi.

"So focus. Because if it is distributed according to needs, we hope that in the next 10 years the city that we push for its economy will become the center of new economic growth so that residents of each of these islands do not need to come to Java. That's more promising, "he explained.

Capital Transfer Plans

President Joko Widodo revealed plans to relocate the capital when he visited Cikupa, Tangerang, last Tuesday (30/4). The discussion, according to Jokowi, has been carried out intensively in the past three years.

Equitable development and economy are one of the main reasons for moving the capital, Jokowi told reporters. "So yesterday I decided to move out of Java," he said. According to him, the government currently has three candidate locations where the new capital city will be, but it has not been decided yet because it is still conducting in-depth studies.


"We have to check in detail about the carrying capacity of the environment, what the water is like, what kind of disaster, then later development for the capital city in the future whether it is still possible or not. All these calculations must be finalized first, then passed back to me then I decide," said the president.

Met after following a Limited Meeting in the president's office on Friday (3/5), the Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning (ATR) Sofyan Djalil said the government had prepared a land area of ​​300 thousand hectares for this new capital city candidate. But he refused to elaborate further.

"What is clear is that the President said outside Java. We are already there. Now why aren't you given the location because there are so many land speculators later. (The area?) Large, maybe around 300 thousand hectares. So that the city of the future will have a wide park, "Sofyan said.


He added, the land that was prepared for the prospective new capital city was state-owned land, so that later there would be no land dispute.

What Are the Important Criteria of a New Capital City?

Nirwono Yoga urban planning experts said several criteria that had been considered to be a new capital, including the level of disaster vulnerability and infrastructure readiness.

If Kalimantan is chosen, according to Nirwono there are several problems that must be resolved first, including illegal logging, forest fires and floods.

"It means that actually the environment in Kalimantan is experiencing a quality of environmental degradation. Now, if the capital city moves to Kalimantan, there is no commitment that the three environmental problems can be stopped, how about that?" Nirwono said.