"The agglomeration of the three provinces will have a population of 100 million in 2045 and become one of the largest agglomerations in the world," the ministry's Regional Director I for Regional Development Abdul Malik Sadat Idris said in a podcast on Thursday.
The inclusion of Jakarta as part of the megalopolis will ensure that the city will still have a role after the government moves the capital to IKN Nusantara, East Kalimantan, he explained.
Idris noted that the development of Jakarta as an economic center is also in line with the draft law regarding the Special Region of Jakarta (DKJ).
He explained that the agglomeration is planned to consist of several functional areas, including the Jakarta-Bandung megapolitan area, the Cilegon-Serang-Tangerang industrial area, the Citanduy agricultural area in West Java, and other areas in the three provinces.
Those functional areas supporting the megalopolis area must excel at the global level and be innovatively advanced, socially and culturally inclusive, integrated between regions, and sustainable, he said.
According to him, the plan to develop the Jakarta-Bandung megapolitan area as part of the megalopolis has been included in the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) 2025–2035.
Besides developing connectivity between Jakarta and Bandung with the existing fast train, strengthening urban infrastructure, developing the quality of higher education centers, and developing tourism are also important to realize the Jakarta-Bandung megapolitan area as a global area, he said.
However, Jakarta's role as a local economic driver will be difficult to replace because currently, 70 percent of the gross regional domestic product (GRDP) of the agglomeration areas is contributed by the city, Idris said.
Meanwhile, the GRDPs of Bekasi and Bogor districts, which are in second and third positions in the agglomeration area, are only eight and six percent, he disclosed.
"The central government still needs to invest a lot in order to support regional governments whose fiscal capabilities are still lacking," Idris said.
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Translator: Nabil Ihsan, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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