ANN/THE STAR – Indonesia received technical assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) worth IDR37.22 billion (USD2.4 million) to develop its new capital city Nusantara in North Penajam Paser, East Kalimantan.
The grant aims to support the development of Nusantara as a habitable and sustainable city, ADB Country Director for Indonesia Jiro Tominaga said.
He said the fund is set to be used primarily on the three pillars of planning and design, minimising the negative impacts of construction, and mobilising finances.
Jiro said it is still too early to draw conclusions about the impact of the urban relocation project on the Indonesian economy.
The ADB is concentrating on assisting the municipal authorities in designing the city according to the Indonesian government’s vision of a green and smart capital.
In addition to sponsoring Nusantara, the bank also approved a USD650 million loan to improve Indonesia’s healthcare facilities, such as standardising initial healthcare services and reducing accessibility gaps, especially for the poor and those living in rural or remote areas.
