The largest economy in Southeast Asia plans to relocate all its government offices in Jakarta to an area of 56,180 hectares in the province of East Kalimantan, adjacent to Brunei.

The bill also establishes that the president, with the approval of Parliament, can decide who will rule the capital.

Parliament is expected to approve the plan, consisting of some 46 billion dollars this year to proceed before the 2024 presidential election.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo recently said that the relocation will help expand economic activities outside Java’s most populous island and reduce its income gap with the rest of the country.

Moreover, experts think that the move is necessary, as the current capital of 10 million people suffers from stagnant traffic and frequent flooding, and its pollution borders on unhealthy levels.

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