New Capital Nusantara's Development To Spur Indonesia's Growth: Jokowi

By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar

JAKARTA, Aug 17 (Bernama) -- Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo has reiterated his optimism about Indonesia’s future, emphasising the importance of the ongoing development of the new capital, Nusantara, will continue to inspire hope for national advancement.

At the 79th Independence Day celebrations this morning, Widodo, also known as Jokowi, invited the heads of state institutions to tour key sites, including the newly completed Garuda Palace and the “Sumbu Kebangsaan”, which represents the diversity and unity of its citizens.

“I hope that the continued development of Nusantara will provide new hope for Indonesia’s progress and growth,” Jokowi stated on his official X account on Saturday.

This year’s Independence Day was marked by a historic dual-location celebration, with events held in Nusantara, East Kalimantan, for the first time, alongside the traditional venue in Jakarta.

The Jakarta provincial government emphasised that this year’s celebrations should also serve as a moment for the city to maximise its potential as a national economic hub and a global city.

During the ceremony, Jokowi, accompanied by President-elect Prabowo Subianto, presided over the event at the National Palace in Nusantara at 11am local time, a significant occasion as it was his final Independence Day celebration before his term ends on Oct 20.

He arrived in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, on Friday evening after his final State of the Nation and Budget Addresses, where he announced an allocation of 400.3 trillion rupiahs (about US$25.6 billion) for 2025, aimed at infrastructure development, including sustainable projects for Nusantara.

Prabowo recently pledged to complete the Nusantara project, recognising its importance in alleviating the strain on Java Island, which has long been Indonesia’s population and economic hub.

Nusantara is being developed to address issues such as congestion, pollution and land subsidence in Jakarta, and to promote a balanced economic growth across the country.

In an interview with a local television station, residents of Kalimantan expressed pride that the main celebration was held in their region, hoping that all planned development programmes would come to fruition.

-- BERNAMA