By: Alfisyah Kumalasari )*
The government made a bold and careful decision by moving the State Capital to the island of Kalimantan. Besides aiming at creating a new economic region, the transfer of a national capital is a solution to equitable development.
The relocation of the Indonesian capital outside of Java should have been done. This aims to reduce the burden on the island of Java, especially Jakarta, which is increasing. Especially with the traffic jam in Jakarta, which only takes time off during Eid and annual floods, making the capital city of the State have to move from Java.
During this time, the economic center is still based in the Jakarta area and around the island of Java. Even though Indonesia is not only Java.
58% of economic turnover is recorded in Java. The rest is shared in all regions outside Java. Even in Jabodetabek alone, economic turnover reaches one fifth or 20 percent in Indonesia. If the problem of inequality is not taken seriously, inequality will widen.
The discourse of moving the capital appears also based on the burden of the island of Java which currently bears the burden and density of the population. In 2017 the population in Java represented 60 percent of Indonesia’s population, the rest was divided into islands outside of Java.
University of Indonesia (UI) Urban Sociology expert Paulu Wirutomo said, if a city is approaching densities that are already very dangerous to people’s lives, then it is better to find a way of spreading it so that a city can develop again. The most effective strategy of population distribution according to him is by relocating the capital city.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo said, the transfer of the capital should be done for the sake of creating equity and economic justice. Because the Territory of Indonesia is not only limited to Jakarta and Java, but Indonesia is all over the country from Sabang to Merauke.
Not only in Indonesia, the fact is the transfer of the capital is also carried out by several countries in the world including in ASEAN. Like Myanmar, which previously had its capital in Yangon, was later moved to Naypyidaw, which is located in the middle of Myanmar, the relocation of the capital allows the Myanmar Government to control remote areas better.
The process of moving the capital city of the country has carried out a lengthy study, including studies from the administrative side, the composition of the government, regional autonomy to the borders of the capital city later.
Jokowi has also requested that studies related to disaster, environmental, economic, demographic, socio-political and defense-security capacity be completed and detailed.
Even though the capital transfer plan is reaping the pros and cons, but we must realize that the capital removal plan was apparently planned by Ir Soekarno, the first President of the Republic of Indonesia.
LIPI historian Asvi Warman Adam believes that if the capital city is moved, then Indonesia will record gold ink in Indonesia’s political history. Where Indonesia will create a new Capital, not a Capital of colonial heritage.
Asvi said, the relocation of the capital city or central government is closely related to 2 things, namely the driving factors and pull factors. History records the driving and pulling factors when the central government was moved to Yogyakarta in 1946 triggered by the condition of Jakarta which at that time was considered unsafe, and both military and police officials were deemed not to be fully functioning so that Yogyakarta offered to become the center of the government and this was approved by the President and Vice President.
Urban Planning expert, Yayat Supriatna, said that moving the National Capital out of Java would have an extraordinary economic impact, namely increasing national economic growth by 0.1% to 0.2%.
He also stated that the removal of the National Capital could reduce regional disparities. The relocation of the capital outside Java can certainly encourage inter-regional trade, especially trade between Java and regions outside Java, and between regions outside Java.
This certainly shows that the relocation of the Capital City can also move the national economy, if the economy continues to roll, then even distribution of welfare will be very likely to be achieved.
Therefore President Jokowi’s plan to move the capital city would certainly be good news and deserves appreciation. Hopefully what has become a government program related to the removal of the Capital can be realized as soon as possible.
)* The author is a social political observer