By Riyaz ul Khaliq
ISTANBUL (AA) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo officially began working from Nusantara, the country's future capital in East Kalimantan province, on Monday.
“This morning, Mr. President started receiving guests and holding meetings at the presidential office in Nusantara, just as he did at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta," said Yusuf Permana, a deputy of the presidential secretariat in charge of protocol and media relations.
Widely known as “Jokowi,” the president’s first agenda item was a meeting with executives of the Nusantara authority, according to Jakarta Globe News.
The Indonesian president announced last month that he would start working from the new capital in July. It is expected that he will spend three days a week in Nusantara.
Over 80% of the infrastructure work for the first phase of the $32 billion capital city project has been completed.
Jokowi plans to commemorate Indonesia’s Independence Day on August 17 in Nusantara, with the official inauguration of the new capital.