The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 09/03/2010 8:21 PM
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono offered on Friday to relocate the capital from Jakarta as one of options to overcome problems facing the metropolitan city, particularly traffic congestion.
"Build a completely new capital, which will serve as the real capital, the real government center," the president was quoted by Antara during a breaking of the fast gathering with members of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) at the Jakarta Convention Center.
He said Indonesia could learn from Australia and Turkey, which relocated the capital and government center altogether to solve various problems.
Another option is maintaining Jakarta as the capital but moving the center of government to a new place as Malaysia did, the president said.
He said it would take around 10 years to realize any of the options.
The president called for a thorough discussion to decide which option would be chosen, saying it would cost the country a lot. Malaysia, for example, spent Rp 80 trillion to relocate the government center from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya.
"I will listen to inputs from many parties," he said.
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