Future of Indonesia’s new capital Nusantara uncertain after top officials quit 2 months before inauguration

The resignations intensify existing doubts about Nusantara, which has been plagued with delays and insufficient investment. Analysts suggest the project, seen as “politically driven” with questionable economic viability, might have been rushed to secure Widodo’s legacy before his term ends.

The Nusantara Capital City Authority was headed by Bambang Susantono, a former official at the Asian Development Bank, and his deputy, Dhony Rahajoe, an architect and former real estate developer. The pair did not elaborate on their decision to officially resign from their posts on Monday.

He also noted that Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono and Deputy Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Raja Juli Antoni would take over as the acting chief and deputy head of the Nusantara Authority until permanent appointments could be made.

Widodo’s grand vision for Nusanatara involves transforming 2,560 sq km (988 sq miles) of land nestled among the rainforests of East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo into a new green smart city set to serve as Indonesia’s political centre by the end of this year.

But plans to relocate 12,000 civil servants to the new capital by September have been delayed twice as the government races to build the required infrastructure.

According to Trissia Wijaya, a senior research fellow at Ritsumeikan University in Japan, such issues stem from concerns the project was rushed through without sufficient public consultation to secure Widodo’s political legacy before he steps down from office in October.

Nusantara seemed to be a “politically driven” complex and large-scale project that “barely meets economic viabilities”, Trissia said, adding that the resignations were not completely