Bambang Susantono, currently the vice-president for knowledge management and sustainable development at the multilateral institution, was appointed head of the National Capital Authority today.
The Indonesian national was a government official prior to joining the ADB in 2015, having served as vice-minister of Transportation of Indonesia, and deputy minister for infrastructure and regional development at the office of coordinating ministry for economic affairs.
The National Capital Authority is responsible for the preparation, development and relocation of the new capital – called Nusantara – as well as its administration.
This gives the authority head powers akin to a governor.
The law regarding the new capital that passed parliament in January allows the head to issue licences for investment, ease business conditions, and provide incentives to parties that support developing Nusantara.
The authority head is directly appointed by the president and has a five-year term, with a further five years if reappointed.
Indonesian president Joko Widodo had previously said that the head needs to “have led a region and (have) an architectural background”, leading many observers to speculate that Ridwan Kamil, current governor of West Java province and a renowned architect, was his top choice.
While Susantono does not have any gubernatorial experience, he has a doctorate in infrastructure planning and Master’s degrees in transportation engineering as well as city and regional planning, all three from the University of California Berkeley in the US.
Nusantara will be in East Kalimantan province on Borneo, 2,000km northeast of the current capital Jakarta, which will remain the country’s financial and commercial centre.
The new capital will have a provincial-level administration – on par with Indonesia’s 34 provinces.
The law regarding establishment of the new capital passed parliament in January.
Foreign embassies and representatives of international organizations are expected to join state agencies in shifting their offices to Nusantara within 10 years of the relocation.
Moving the nation’s capital was previously slated to begin in 2024 – before president Widodo’s term in office ends – but the current schedule remains unclear.