Heaptalk, Jakarta — Bambang Susantono, former Head of the Nusantara Capital Authority (IKN), stated on Sunday (10/13) that Jakarta will continue to serve as the capital of Indonesia. Meanwhile, Nusantara Capital (IKN) is expected to evolve into a specific city.
“Like it or not, Jakarta will remain the capital city. Over time, depending on the speed of development, Nusantara may become a particular kind of city,” explained Bambang, who now serves as the President’s Special Envoy for International Cooperation on IKN Development. He also received strategic planning and development recommendations for Nusantara Capital from the Indonesian Association of Planning Schools (ASPI).
Bambang also mentioned that during recent IKN meetings, a proposal for relocating the capital was made using the ‘Twin Cities’ concept. He explained that Twin Cities refer to cities that function almost simultaneously.
He found the idea intriguing for Indonesia’s capital relocation process. He suggested that there would be gradual developments over the next five years rather than an abrupt move. He cited examples of countries implementing the Twin Cities concept, such as South Korea, with Seoul as the principal capital and Sejong as the secondary capital.
Another example is Malaysia, which has two main cities: Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur. Bambang believes a similar principle could be applied in Indonesia, depending on how Nusantara’s development unfolds in the next five years.
Thus far, President Joko Widodo has not issued a Presidential Decree regarding relocating the capital from Jakarta to Nusantara. The decree depends on IKN’s readiness and could be signed later by the newly elected president, Prabowo Subianto, who is set to be inaugurated on October 20, 2024.
