Arya News - The administration’s decision to hold this year’s Independence Day ceremony in Jakarta, combined with President Prabowo’s ongoing absence from the new capital, has fueled speculation about his commitment to the flagship project of his predecessor, Joko Widodo.
JAKARTA – State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi has dismissed growing concerns over President Prabowo Subianto ’s commitment to the Nusantara capital city project, asserting that the President has no plans for a moratorium and remains fully committed to completing the relocation within three years.
Speaking at a recent press conference, Prasetyo, who also serves as the President’s spokesperson, emphasized that while the government remains open to “suggestions and input”, it remains focused on executing the existing plans and to swiftly completing the development of Nusantara.
He went on to say that President Prabowo has instructed the Nusantara Capital Authority (OIKN) to “work hard” to complete essential infrastructure and facilities, ensuring that all three branches of government—executive, legislative and judicial—can operate from the new capital within the set time frame.
“These are the facilities and infrastructure that we believe must be in place before the President signs the presidential decree formalizing the capital’s relocation,” Prasetyo said on Friday.
The legal foundation for relocating the capital has been in place since 2022. However, Prabowo has yet to issue the decree required to officially move the capital from Jakarta to Nusantara in East Kalimantan.
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Several ministers have previously stated that the decree will be issued only when Nusantara is fully prepared to host the three branches of government, a milestone the Prabowo administration aims to reach by 2029, supported by a Rp 48.8 trillion (US$2.9 billion) budget.
However, the administration’s decision to hold this year’s Independence Day ceremony in Jakarta—despite earlier pledges to celebrate it in Nusantara—combined with President Prabowo’s ongoing absence from the new capital, has fueled speculation about his commitment to the flagship project initiated by his predecessor, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.
The NasDem Party was the first to publicly urge the government to clarify its policy direction, calling on the President to either expedite the issuance of the relocation decree or suspend the project entirely.
While several other political parties have since reaffirmed support for Nusantara, they also pressed for concrete action, urging the government to start operating from the new capital, at least by assigning to the new city Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka , Jokowi’s oldest son, or specific ministries.
After a site inspection on Saturday, Franky Sibarani, chair of the House of Representatives’ Commission XIII overseeing law and human rights, said development had progressed sufficiently for some ministries to begin relocating.
The Golkar Party politician, who was accompanied by OIKN head Basuki Hadimuljono and officials from several key ministries, encouraged a phased relocation.
“We recommend that the State Secretariat begin relocating certain ministries, such as the Environment Ministry, the Forestry Ministry, the Public Works Ministry or the Agrarian and Spatial Planning Ministry, as an initial move,” Franky said.
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Still, with no official timeline for government office relocations and with Nusantara excluded from this year’s Independence Day events, national attention remains centered on Jakarta, where preparations are already underway.
To this end, Prasetyo confirmed that invitations have been sent for the Aug. 17 flag-raising ceremony at Jakarta’s Merdeka Palace, including to former national leaders.
“An official confirmation is not yet available as the preparation process is still ongoing. But I have personally visited former presidents and vice presidents to extend verbal invitations, and they have responded positively”.
Prasetyo added that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, they were expected to attend, though he did not mention any names.