Nusantara, East Kalimantan. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo said on Friday that he is considering a move to the new national capital, Nusantara, as early as July, pending the completion of crucial infrastructure projects.

During a visit to the Nusantara construction site in North Penajam Paser regency, East Kalimantan, the president said he would relocate to Nusantara once the toll road and VVIP airport projects are finalized. Accompanied by Public Work and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, the president addressed the timeline during the visit.

“They should be completed by July, Mr. Basuki,” the president told his minister in front of journalists. “I’m waiting for the completion of the new airport and toll road before moving my office here.”

To accommodate guests during the Independence Day ceremony in Nusantara in August, marking the launch of the new national capital, the government is accelerating the construction of a toll road connecting Nusantara and the province’s largest city, Balikpapan, along with the VVIP airport.

The relocation of thousands of central government employees from Jakarta to Nusantara will occur gradually, as essential infrastructures such as residential buildings, health facilities, and schools are still under construction.

“We plan a phased relocation of civil servants because we first must prepare supporting facilities. Houses will be the foremost priority while we also have to build schools for their children and hospitals,” the president noted.

“We estimate that within the next 10 years, [Nusantara] will become a lively city inhabited by many citizens,” he added.

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