Nusantara to be attractive, inclusive city to all: PUPR Ministry

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Nusantara, Indonesia's new capital in East Kalimantan, is being developed as an attractive and inclusive city for all, not just government workers, according to the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR).

"A more attractive and inclusive city will experience its population increase," said Endra S. Atmawidjaja, the ministry spokesperson, on Wednesday.

An attractive city is one where human, financial, political, and economic resources are accumulating, and Nusantara is designed to support those resources, he added.

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According to Atmawidjaja, despite being a planned city developed from scratch, Nusantara should grow organically and accumulate resources for its development.

"Can we restrict cities like Surabaya or Denpasar from growing? We cannot," he remarked. "We will not restrict the city (Nusantara). It will be a system open to all."

Therefore, although Nusantara's population will comprise mainly government officials, the city will not restrict its population or bar other people from residing there, he added.

Atmawidjaja affirmed that non-government officials would have an essential role in powering the city's commercial, economic, social, and cultural functions.

According to Nusantara's masterplan, the capital city will be developed as a superhub inspired by smart, inclusive, and sustainable cities globally.

The government is also keen to make Nusantara a global inspiration for a green, sustainable, and inclusive city with a high living standard supported by technological advancements.

On July 29, President Joko Widodo ran the government from Nusantara and spent the night at the city's Presidential Palace. He is scheduled to hold a cabinet meeting there on August 12.

Nusantara will also host its first-time Independence Day ceremony on August 17. In a break from tradition, the ceremony will take place both in Jakarta and the new city.