A SUPER-HUB
The new capital city job is being supported by both Prabowo and Gibran. Gibran has expressed his determination to driving Indonesia’s financial change by advancing state-of-the-art technologies to strengthen the nation’s microscopic, small and medium enterprises. The duo has pledged to turn Nusantara into a “super-hub” to plug into the modern habitat for Indonesia’s economic development.
This language is very similar to President Jokowi’s, whose legacy is the development of Indonesia’s financial and infrastructure to connect the archipelago. However, Prabowo will most likely make a mark on Nusantara by promoting growth in the area’s market.
Given its proximity to the new investment, there has already been progress made with the development of Balikpapan, which would be Nusantara’s major commercial hub, as well as the Makassar New Port initiative, which is expected to be the biggest business port in eastern Indonesia.
Nusantara’s founding is not just an attempt to relocate Java’s administrative headquarters to Kalimantan. A developed Nusantara region will increase commercial traffic that passes through the second archipelagic sea lane, boosting economic interest in eastern Indonesia and providing an alternative route that connects the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
A global maritime hub might emerge right in the middle of the Indo-Pacific if the new president successfully exploits this opportunity.
The S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies ( RSIS ) is home to Gilang Kembara as a research fellow. East Asia Forum first published this commentary.