JAKARTA: Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Monday held his first cabinet meeting in the country’s future capital, despite much of the city remaining under construction as it runs behind schedule.

The $32-billion megaproject Nusantara was widely expected to be inaugurated on August 17, Indonesia’s Independence Day, but building delays and funding woes have cast doubt on the schedule.

Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, still hailed the city-in-progress, which is expected to be fully ready in 2045. “Not all countries have the opportunity, have the ability to build their capital starting from zero,” he said.

According to Jokowi, the city is “being built with the concept of a forest city, a jungle city, a city full of green” in eastern Borneo island. But environmentalists have warned the rapid development of the new capital will hasten deforestation in one of the world’s largest stretches of tropical rainforest.

Jokowi — who started to work from the future capital several weeks ago — brought Several officials to Nusantara for the cabinet meeting, including his successor Prabowo Subianto.

Prabowo pledged to continue the capital-to-be once he takes office in October, removing any doubt over his willingness to carry out Jokowi’s legacy project.

Jokowi resurrected the long-shelved plan to relocate the capital soon after taking office in 2019 after experts warned Jakarta — the megacity of 12 million people — was sinking.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2024