Indonesia Marks 79th Independence Day in New Capital

Hundreds of officials and invited guests, dressed in traditional attire representing various Indonesian tribes, gathered on a grassy area amid ongoing construction and visible cranes in Nusantara city, according to ABC.

President Joko Widodo, accompanied by Cabinet ministers, attended the Independence Day ceremony at the new Presidential Palace, which is designed to resemble the mythical Garuda, an eagle-winged protector figure.

The celebration was initially intended to mark the official inauguration of Nusantara as the new capital, but construction delays have left the timeline for the capital's relocation uncertain.

Earlier in the week, Widodo announced that 8,000 guests would be invited, but the number was later reduced to 1,300 due to insufficient infrastructure. The ceremony at the new State Palace on Borneo island was held concurrently with a celebration at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, where Vice President Ma'ruf Amin was in attendance.

Widodo began working at the new presidential palace in Nusantara in late July and conducted his first Cabinet meeting there on Tuesday.

Over 5,000 police and military officers were deployed for the ceremony, which featured 76 honorary flag-bearers marching behind the national red-and-white banner.

Jakarta, with a population of around 10 million within the city limits and triple that in the metropolitan area, suffers from frequent flooding and severe congestion, costing the economy an estimated $4.5 billion annually. The old capital, located on the northwestern coast of Java island, is plagued by polluted air and groundwater and is considered the world’s fastest-sinking city, with predictions that one-third of it could be submerged by 2050 due to uncontrolled groundwater extraction and rising sea levels.

Construction of Nusantara began in mid-2022, covering approximately 2,600 square kilometers (1,000 square miles) carved out of Borneo's jungle. Officials describe the new capital as a futuristic green city, with abundant forests and parks, powered by renewable energy and employing smart waste management systems.

However, the project has faced criticism from environmentalists and Indigenous communities, who argue that it damages the environment, further threatens the habitat of endangered species such as orangutans, and displaces Indigenous populations dependent on the land.

Since construction began, seven groundbreaking ceremonies have been held for the development of government and public buildings, as well as hotels, banks, and schools.

Most of the investment in the project comes from Indonesian companies, with the government contributing only 20% of the $33 billion budget, relying heavily on private sector investment.

To attract investors, Widodo recently introduced incentives for the new capital, including land rights lasting up to 190 years and generous tax breaks.

With a population of approximately 275 million, Indonesia is Southeast Asia’s largest economy. Widodo, who has led the country for a decade, is set to leave office in October.