Jakarta. Vice President Gibran Rakabuming on Thursday dismissed claims  that Nusantara, Indonesia’s future capital in East Kalimantan, is turning into a “ghost town,” insisting that construction and the phased relocation of civil servants are progressing according to plan.

Speaking during a visit to B-Universe Media Holdings’ office in PIK 2, Tangerang, Banten, Gibran said negative portrayals in some international reports do not reflect real conditions.

“Many people keep asking about Nusantara because recently there were foreign media reports with negative narratives, saying it is a ghost town or stalled,” Gibran said. “But we remain focused on the work. The development there is moving forward, and from my latest visit, the progress is already quite good and on track.”

Gibran said he visited Nusantara toward the end of 2025 and found construction advancing in line with the government’s timeline. About two weeks later, President Prabowo Subianto also traveled to the site to review progress.

“The president went there to review the development, and the progress is in line with the timeline,” he said. “Our main task now is to accelerate and closely monitor the construction of the legislative and judicial areas, which are targeted for completion in 2028.”

The vice president said the relocation of civil servants (ASN) is already underway and will continue in stages. He has instructed his office to begin operating from Nusantara and said facilities for the Vice President’s Secretariat are nearing completion.

“I have asked that some of our staff be moved to start working at the Vice Presidential Palace in Nusantara,” Gibran said. “The building is already in the finishing stage. General meetings have been held. It’s basically ready — we just need to move people in.”

He added that broader relocation plans are also progressing, with around 4,000 civil servants expected to move this year, based on current planning.

Gibran pointed to completed social and commercial infrastructure as further proof that Nusantara is far from abandoned. Schools ranging from elementary to senior high level, university facilities and hospitals have already been built, he said, while medical equipment has been installed and is ready for use.

“We’ve stayed at the civil servants’ apartment towers. Ministerial offices are there. From what I’ve seen, the progress is quite solid,” he said. “Nusantara is not stalled. It is not a ghost town.”

His remarks come amid an October report by the UK’s The Guardian, which cited concerns that state funding had declined, construction had slowed and some civil servants were reluctant to relocate from Jakarta. The report said that three years after former president Joko Widodo launched the ambitious project, there were fears Nusantara could become a “glorified ghost town.”

Nusantara, Indonesia's Future Capital
Nusantara was officially designated Indonesia’s future capital in 2022, aimed at replacing Jakarta as the country’s administrative center due to chronic congestion, pollution and land subsidence in the current capital. Under existing plans, the transition will be gradual as infrastructure is completed.

By 2028, Indonesia is expected to operate with two capitals. Jakarta will remain the country’s legal capital and economic hub under Law No. 2/2024, while Nusantara will function as the political capital, hosting the executive, legislative and judicial branches.

Construction momentum has picked up in recent months, with the legislative and judicial complexes entering the building phase in late 2025. Official data show that nearly 150,000 people now live in the broader Nusantara area, reflecting the growing economic and population footprint of the project.

Gibran said President Prabowo’s recent visit to Nusantara should help counter lingering doubts.

“I think the president’s latest visit alone has already answered many of the doubts and speculation,” he said. “The facts on the ground show that Nusantara is progressing.”

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