President Joko Widodo has inaugurated Indonesia's new capital, Nusantara, on the country's Independence Day, with the first ceremony to mark the occasion held in the new city.
Footage captured on Saturday shows President Widodo at the ceremony, bringing a flag to the troops that perform the flag-raising ceremony. President Widodo also explained to the media that President-elect Prabowo Subianto will share more details on the design plans for Nusantara.
"This is a big country, Indonesia is a big country. There must be equity between all regions, in the east, central and west. Each must get the same share. Ten years ago, I said it was not Java-centric but Indonesian-centric, not from the centre, but from the periphery, building from the village, building from the outermost region," President Widido explained.
Ibu Kota Nusantara in full or roughly translated as 'The Outer Islands', Nusantara replaces Jakarta as the capital of Indonesia. The name is a nod toward 'Wawasan Nusantara', which translates to the Indonesian Archipelagic Vision devised by the country's government to define national goals and ideals.
Located on the island of Java, Jakarta served as the nation's capital since 1961 and is one of the most important business hubs in Southeast Asia. Jakarta faces a shortage of space and congestion, as well as environmental challenges like air pollution. Reports say that part of the city is sinking by up to 17cm per year and $40 billion will be spent to overcome these challenges over the next decade.
Widodo decided in 2019 to move the capital from Java to the island of Borneo, a location that falls in the centre of the Indonesian Archipelago. Construction of a central zone comprising government offices, schools and hospitals has been currently underway in Nasuntaru since 2022, with the new city planned for completion by 2045.
President Joko Widodo has inaugurated Indonesia's new capital, Nusantara, on the country's Independence Day, with the first ceremony to mark the occasion held in the new city.
Footage captured on Saturday shows President Widodo at the ceremony, bringing a flag to the troops that perform the flag-raising ceremony. President Widodo also explained to the media that President-elect Prabowo Subianto will share more details on the design plans for Nusantara.
"This is a big country, Indonesia is a big country. There must be equity between all regions, in the east, central and west. Each must get the same share. Ten years ago, I said it was not Java-centric but Indonesian-centric, not from the centre, but from the periphery, building from the village, building from the outermost region," President Widido explained.
Ibu Kota Nusantara in full or roughly translated as 'The Outer Islands', Nusantara replaces Jakarta as the capital of Indonesia. The name is a nod toward 'Wawasan Nusantara', which translates to the Indonesian Archipelagic Vision devised by the country's government to define national goals and ideals.
Located on the island of Java, Jakarta served as the nation's capital since 1961 and is one of the most important business hubs in Southeast Asia. Jakarta faces a shortage of space and congestion, as well as environmental challenges like air pollution. Reports say that part of the city is sinking by up to 17cm per year and $40 billion will be spent to overcome these challenges over the next decade.
Widodo decided in 2019 to move the capital from Java to the island of Borneo, a location that falls in the centre of the Indonesian Archipelago. Construction of a central zone comprising government offices, schools and hospitals has been currently underway in Nasuntaru since 2022, with the new city planned for completion by 2045.
President Joko Widodo has inaugurated Indonesia's new capital, Nusantara, on the country's Independence Day, with the first ceremony to mark the occasion held in the new city.
Footage captured on Saturday shows President Widodo at the ceremony, bringing a flag to the troops that perform the flag-raising ceremony. President Widodo also explained to the media that President-elect Prabowo Subianto will share more details on the design plans for Nusantara.
"This is a big country, Indonesia is a big country. There must be equity between all regions, in the east, central and west. Each must get the same share. Ten years ago, I said it was not Java-centric but Indonesian-centric, not from the centre, but from the periphery, building from the village, building from the outermost region," President Widido explained.
Ibu Kota Nusantara in full or roughly translated as 'The Outer Islands', Nusantara replaces Jakarta as the capital of Indonesia. The name is a nod toward 'Wawasan Nusantara', which translates to the Indonesian Archipelagic Vision devised by the country's government to define national goals and ideals.
Located on the island of Java, Jakarta served as the nation's capital since 1961 and is one of the most important business hubs in Southeast Asia. Jakarta faces a shortage of space and congestion, as well as environmental challenges like air pollution. Reports say that part of the city is sinking by up to 17cm per year and $40 billion will be spent to overcome these challenges over the next decade.
Widodo decided in 2019 to move the capital from Java to the island of Borneo, a location that falls in the centre of the Indonesian Archipelago. Construction of a central zone comprising government offices, schools and hospitals has been currently underway in Nasuntaru since 2022, with the new city planned for completion by 2045.