"We will ensure the (Presidential Palace’s development) progress is consistent with the plan and, God Willing, it can be used by August 2024," Head of the ministry's Nusantara City Infrastructure Development Task Force Danis Hidayat Sumadilaga affirmed at a teleconference, which was followed from here on Monday.
A large square constructed in front of the Presidential Palace is expected to host the Independence Day ceremony in 2024, he informed.
The ministry’s task force head said that the development of the presidential palace and presidential office in Nusantara City is progressing well.
"So far, the development proceeds well, and the progress of the Presidential Palace and the Presidential Office Complex surpasses 12 percent," Sumadilaga added.
Earlier, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) expressed optimism that the Presidential Palace’s development in Nusantara city's Central Government Core Area (KIPP) would be complete by 2024.
He also said he expected the ceremony to commemorate Indonesia's 79th independence anniversary to take place in the new capital on August 17, 2024.
While the Presidential Palace will be constructed according to the masterplan finalized earlier, the President said that several aspects of the development might differ from the plan so as to adjust to on-site conditions.
Widodo added that he will promptly take up residence at the new Presidential Palace upon its completion to help boost development in the new capital.
As of April 2023, the new capital’s development has reached 25 percent, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing, Basuki Hadimuljono, informed.
Besides the government core area, some other facilities and utilities that are currently being developed by the ministry in the new capital include the national axis, ministers' offices and housing, roads, and waste and wastewater management installations, he said.
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Translator: Aji Cakti, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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