We have to learn of the concrete transfer from the countries that have been successful in doing it, such as Brazil, which had accomplished it since the 1980sJakarta (ANTARA) - National Development Planning Minister and Head of the National Development Planning Agency Bambang Brodjonegoro suggested that Indonesia should take a cue from Brazil, one of the nations to have successfully moved the country's capital city.
"We have to learn of the concrete transfer from the countries that have been successful in doing it, such as Brazil, which had accomplished it since the 1980s," Brodjonegoro stated at the 9th Merdeka Barat Forum (FMB) themed, "Moving the Capital City: Learning from the Experience of Friends," at the Office of the National Development Planning Agency, Central Jakarta, Wednesday.
In 1960, Brazilian President Juscelino Kubitschek had take a major decision to move the capital from Rio de Janeiro to Brasilia.
During that time, the transfer of the capital city was done with the objective of building a modern capital city in the 21st century as well as enhancing national unity by opening vacant land in the middle of Brasilia while reducing inequality.
Brodjonegoro remarked that when the economy grew in Rio De Janeiro and Santos, the interior and the Amazon lagged behind the coast. He explained that the effort to move the capital to the Amazon region could be viewed as an effort to ensure equitable development.
Brodjonegoro noted that Brasilia was currently developing not only as a hub of the government but also as a center of economic activity for the surrounding region. Moreover, disparity in development between the Amazon region and coastal region can also be overcome.
"To this end, we are also striving to ensure equitable development within and outside Java. These income and economic disparities that we should overcome, can, at least, be reduced," Brodjonegoro emphasized.
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On the same occasion, Brazilian Ambassador to Indonesia Rubem Barbosa remarked that moving the capital city proffered myriad benefits, including the distribution of population and economy.
"Currently, Brasilia is the city, with the highest per capita income in Brazil. It was not planned at all. In addition, currently, Brasilia is also the main destination for population migration. Most of the population from the north, including Rio, also comes to Brasilia. Lots of people," he pointed out.
Ambassador Barbosa elaborated that the key objective behind building Brasilia as the new capital of a country was in line with the government's responsibility to ensure equitable distribution of the population, in terms of maximizing state-owned territory.
"Unlike Indonesia, at that time, we had to build Brasilia from the start, some 1,200 km from Rio where there was nothing there at that time, with no roads or railroad tracks. It really was a massive operation that took some 3.5 years to accomplish," Barbosa remarked.
"Initially to accommodate one million residents though currently, the number of residents reaches 3.3 million," he added.
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Translator: Fathur Rohman/Eliswan Azly
Editor: Sri Haryati
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