According to Law No. 3 of 2022 concerning IKN, Jakarta's capital city status will slip away when the future president decides to commence the transfer of the city's functions and status to Nusantara, which will thereafter become the base of the central government's activities.
However, considering the fact that Jakarta is the largest metropolis in Indonesia and the country's economic center, it is unlikely that the government will neglect the city after it is no longer the capital.
In accordance with the IKN Law, which necessitates the replacement of Law No.29 of 2007 concerning the status of Jakarta province as the capital city of the Republic of Indonesia, the government and the House of Representatives (DPR) are currently formulating the Jakarta Special Region (DKJ) Bill.
The Legislative Body (Baleg) of the DPR approved the inclusion of the bill into the 2023 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas) priority list during a plenary meeting with the Ministry of Law and Human Rights in September this year.
According to Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, owing to its historical value and enormous potential, Jakarta deserves to be designated as a special region.
He said that as a special region, Jakarta will be given a number of special authorities to resolve several complex issues, including those related to urban problems.
"Jakarta will be given a number of special authorities to solve various complex problems. For example, the traffic jams, pollution, flooding, and also (make efforts to develop) Jakarta as the largest economic city in the world," he added.
Through the DKJ Bill, Indonesia will develop Jakarta as a global city and the country's economic center. The bill will also regulate several aspects of state finances.
In response to the formulation of the DKJ Bill, the acting governor of Jakarta, Heru Budi Hartono, has formed a special team tasked with preparing and finishing the proposals from the Jakarta government to the central government regarding the bill.
The special team was formed on the basis of Jakarta Governor's Decree No. 643 of 2023, which was signed by the acting governor on September 26.
Regional secretary of Jakarta, Joko Agus Setyono, is leading the team, which consists of officials from the Jakarta Regional Secretariat, Jakarta Development Planning Agency (Bappeda), and all regional governmental apparatus institutions (OPDs) in the city.
Hartono, who is guiding the special team, said that Jakarta could be given the title of "Special Economic Region of Jakarta (DKEJ)" after losing its capital city status, in addition to DKJ.
The Home Affairs Ministry and DPR are currently in talks to decide on Jakarta's new name.
As the regulation that will serve as the legal basis for Jakarta in the future, the DKJ Bill will need to encompass all important aspects related to the development of the city.
Sylviana Murni, a senator at the Regional Representative Council (DPD), said the DKJ Bill will ensure that Jakarta will continue to be home to quality, creative, and innovative talents after Nusantara becomes the new capital.
One of the aspects to be regulated by the bill pertains to the essential assets and equipment of the Jakarta provincial government, she said.
Murni, who is participating in the formulation of the DKJ Bill, informed that the bill would fulfill several rights of Jakarta that have not been fulfilled.
The DKJ Bill is still being discussed and is expected to be passed after the general elections in February 2024.
Meanwhile, the head of Jakarta's Bappeda, Atika Nur Rahmania, expressed the hope that the bill would serve as a sustainable legal basis that can help protect Jakarta from the threat of rising sea levels.
She said she expects the bill to grant the Jakarta government full authority to manage the region's coastal ecosystem in the hopes of reducing Jakarta's sinking potential.
Such authority is essential to ensure that the regional government is not hindered by overlapping authorities in its efforts to prevent the sinking of the city, Rahmania added.
Overlapping authorities can be a stumbling block to Jakarta's resolve to overcome challenges related to its coastal areas, she elaborated.
The city's sinking has attracted the attention of the international community, pushing the central government to assure the world that it has the capability and capacity to save the historical city, she added.
Given Jakarta's large population of 10.6 million, it is crucial to ensure that the city has the capable talents required to lead it toward continuous growth even after the capital city relocation.
Furthermore, for the sake of a smooth transition, all related parties will need to ensure that the DKJ Bill is ready to be ratified before the future president issues a decision to practically hand over the functions and status of Jakarta to IKN Nusantara.
Related news: Govt to form regional council for Jakarta Special Region: VP
Translator: Nabil Ihsan, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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