Ricki Putra Harahap, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has confirmed that his administration will continue the development of the new national capital, Nusantara, in East Kalimantan, a project initiated by his predecessor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, a senior official said on Monday.
While Jokowi made Nusantara a key part of his legacy – spending his final weeks in office at the half-finished presidential palace – his successor has shown less enthusiasm for the project, prioritizing his flagship free nutritious meal program for school-aged children instead.
Prabowo has not visited Nusantara since taking office in October.
The current administration has allocated Rp 48.8 trillion ($3 billion) for Nusantara's development through 2029, with a focus on constructing legislative and judiciary buildings, according to Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, the Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Spatial Development.
"The president has confirmed that the Nusantara project will continue, with a budget of Rp 48.8 trillion allocated from 2025 to 2029," Agus said after a meeting with Prabowo at the State Palace in Jakarta.
With the State Palace and the Garuda Palace already completed, the government is shifting its focus to constructing Parliament and judiciary facilities, he added.
Agus acknowledged that Prabowo's administration is prioritizing food and energy self-sufficiency over the next five years but stressed that infrastructure development remains a key agenda. "This does not mean infrastructure development is secondary," he said.
Early estimates indicate that Indonesia needs $33 billion for the full capital relocation from Jakarta to Nusantara. However, the government plans to cover only 20 percent of the total cost, with the remainder expected to come from private sector investments.
Meanwhile, Nusantara Authority Chairman Basuki Hadimuljono recently said that President Prabowo is scheduled to begin working from Nusantara on August 17, 2028, coinciding with Indonesia's 83rd Independence Day celebrations.