Jakarta. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo praised the air quality in Indonesia's future capital, Nusantara, saying it's cleaner than Melbourne and Paris.

"Earlier this morning, I compared the air quality index in Jakarta, Singapore, Melbourne, Paris, and in Nusantara. Nusantara hasn't been measured yet, but I believe it's likely around the 20s," President Jokowi said during a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Bank Tabungan Negara building in Nusantara, on Wednesday.

Citing data from IQAir, an air quality monitoring website, Jokowi noted that Melbourne and Paris both scored 38 on the air quality index, falling within the good air range of 0-50. Singapore recorded an index of 44.

During the address, the President also highlighted Jakarta's air quality, which reached 176 on Tuesday, plummeting to unhealthy levels and earning the city the title of being the world's most polluted.

"Jakarta falls far short of that standard. I believe this applies not only to Jakarta but also to Greater Jakarta," he remarked.

Although air quality in Jakarta improved to 135 on Wednesday morning, it remained at unhealthy pollution levels.

Nusantara's development is underway, with the government actively seeking domestic and international investors to fund the $33 billion capital relocation from Jakarta, notorious for its congestion and pollution.

Jokowi emphasized that Nusantara, as a concept for the future city, needs to prioritize achieving good air quality, including through the operation of electric vehicles. He said Nusantara's air quality index could be brought down to zero if conventional vehicles contributing to pollution in the area are prohibited from operating.

"Especially when only electric vehicles are allowed in the future, it will be zero, because only green energy is permitted here. This is the concept of the future Nusantara capital," he stated.

Last week, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi announced Nusantara's ambition to lead in smart transportation, particularly focusing on electric vehicles (EVs). The goal is to transition all vehicles within and around the city to electric power. Trials for the electric-powered Autonomous Rail Transit (ART) project and flying taxis are slated for July and August.

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