Indonesia announces moving capital off island of Java

By Erric Permana

JAKARTA (AA) - Indonesia’s president has decided to relocate the capital away from the island of Java to promote more equitable development, officials announced Monday.

Bambang Brodjonegoro, the minister for national development planning, said the decision was taken by President Joko Widodo during a Cabinet meeting.

"This is such an important decision for today and we will overview the plan technically at the next meeting," Brodjonegoro said at the Presidential Office in Jakarta, the current capital.

During the meeting, the president stressed the fact that 57 percent of Indonesia’s total population live in Java and economic activities are concentrated there.

"Indonesia’s economy continues to be dominated by the island of Java, while the carrying capacity is limited. Moreover, there have been many agricultural lands that have been converted into housing estates," said Widodo, as quoted by Brodjonegoro.

According to Brodjonegoro, the main criteria for the new capital are middle-class cities with adequate mobility and logistics access.

"It is important to have adequate access to drinking water, sanitation, electricity, and communication networks," he added.

"We also hope that migrants will be welcomed by the people living around the new capital," said Brodjonegoro.