There have been many suggestions made regarding how best to fix Jakarta’s many systemic problems such as the horrendous traffic, poor public transportation system, overpopulation, pollution etc.
One of the most radical of these solutions has been the idea of changing the capital to another city in Indonesia entirely. Radical though it may be, it is still under serious consideration by the government.
Minister for National Development Planning Andrinof A Chaniago said that the capital transfer plan is still being evaluated. Andrinof said that if such a change were to be made, it is most likely that the capital would be relocated to a city in Borneo instead of another city in Java.
“Rather than Java, outer Borneo has the most potential,” Andrinof said while attending a development conference in Kalimantan today, as quoted by Tribunnews.
In the minister’s estimation, the two cities in Borneo best suited to be the new capital would be Pangkalan Bun and Sampit.
He said that his ministry was currently studying proposals for a number of other cities as well, including Palangkaraya which has been seriously discussed as a possible new capital in previous years. But Andrinof said Palangkaraya was probably no longer a suitable choice due to its inadequate land carrying capacity.
