JOKOWI VISITS NUSANTARA AFTER APPOINTING NEW OFFICIALS OVERSEEING CAPITAL CITY PROJECT

JAKARTA, June 4 (Bernama) -- President Joko Widodo, also known as Jokowi, visited Nusantara on Tuesday, a day after appointing new leadership for the Nusantara Capital Authority.

His journey began with a flight to Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, on Monday afternoon, followed by a visit to the new capital to oversee development progress and inaugurate educational projects.

In a video update shared on social media, Jokowi stated: "We will also be inspecting the preparations for the upcoming Aug 17 Independence Day Ceremony."

Jokowi appointed Minister of Public Works and Public Housing, Basuki Hadimuljono, and Deputy Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning, Raja Juli Antoni, as the acting head and deputy head of the authority, respectively.

State Secretary Minister Pratikno, in a press conference on Monday, announced the surprise news that Jokowi had accepted the resignation letters of Bambang Susantono and Dhony Rahajoe, the former head and deputy head, respectively.

Bambang resigned from his position, which he had held since March 2022, approximately two months before a significant upcoming event scheduled on August in Nusantara.

According to Pratikno, Basuki and Raja Juli were summoned by Jokowi to advance Nusantara's development in line with the “Nusa Rimba Raya” plan, focusing on preserving natural resources, especially forests, while boosting economic growth and social welfare.

Meanhwile, Basuki emphasised their commitment to resolving land and investment issues in Nusantara, stating: "We will soon decide on the land status in Nusantara, whether through sale, lease, or a Public-Private Partnership scheme. Our goal is to simplify procedures and boost investor confidence."

The minister was also tasked with establishing a special local government for Nusantara in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs through a joint taskforce.

-- BERNAMA