PENAJAM PASER UTARA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia celebrated 79 years of independence on Saturday with a ceremony at the unfinished future capital of Nusantarawhich was intended to relieve pressure on Jakarta, but whose construction is behind schedule.
Hundreds of officials and invited guests dressed in traditional Indonesian tribal dress gathered on a grassy area amid ongoing construction of government buildings and overlooking construction cranes in the center of Nusantara town.
Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo and cabinet ministers attended the Independence Day ceremony at the new presidential palace, built in the shape of the mythical guardian figure Garuda with its eagle wings.
The celebration was originally planned to mark the inauguration of Nusantara as the country’s new capital, but due to construction delays, it is unclear when the handover will take place.
Widodo had announced earlier this week that 8,000 guests would be invited, but the number was later reduced to 1,300 due to a lack of appropriate infrastructure.
The ceremony at the new State Palace on the island of Borneo took place simultaneously with a ceremony at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, attended by Vice President Ma’ruf Amin.
Widodo began his work in the new presidential palace in Nusantara at the end of July and held his first cabinet meeting there on Tuesday.
More than 5,000 Indonesian police and military officers were on duty for the ceremony and 76 honorary flag bearers marched behind the red and white national flag.
Jakarta has a population of around ten million within the city limits and three times that in the metropolitan area. Floods are a regular occurrence and the roads are so congested that traffic congestion costs the economy an estimated $4.5 billion annually.
The ancient capital on the northwest coast of Java island has severe air and groundwater pollution, and it is considered the fastest sinking city in the world. It is estimated that a third of the city could be underwater by 2050 due to uncontrolled groundwater extraction and the rise of the Java Sea due to climate change.
Construction of the new capital began in mid-2022 and covers an area of about 2,600 square kilometers (1,000 square miles) carved out of Borneo’s jungles. According to officials, it will be a futuristic green city with lush forests and parks, powered by renewable energy sources and using smart waste management.
But environmentalists and indigenous communities criticise the project. They say it damages the environment, further reduces the habitat of endangered animals such as orangutans and displaces indigenous peoples who depend on the land for their livelihoods.
Since construction began, seven groundbreaking ceremonies have taken place for the construction of government and public buildings as well as hotels, banks and schools.
Most investors are Indonesian companies. The government only contributes 20 percent of the $33 billion budget and is heavily dependent on private sector investment.
To attract investors, Widodo recently offered incentives for the new capital, including land rights valid for up to 190 years and generous tax relief.
With a population of around 275 million, Indonesia has the largest economy in Southeast Asia. Widodo, who ruled the country for ten years, will step down in October.
___
Tarigan reported from Jakarta, Indonesia.
