President Joko Widodo confirmed on Thursday that Indonesia's capital will be moved from Jakarta to Borneo.
"The capital of our country will move to the island of Borneo. The location can be in Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, or South Kalimantan," Mr Widodo tweeted.
"All aspects are being studied in depth so that the decision will be correct in our future vision - [a] great vision for the nation and state for the next 10, 50, 100 years."
The government announced in April it had plans to relocate the capital from Jakarta, a traffic-choked city of over 10 million people.
Around three times that many people live in Jakarta's surrounding towns, adding to the area's severe congestion.
The low-lying capital is also prone to flooding and is sinking due to over-extraction of groundwater.
The move has been a long time coming, first being suggested in the 1940s.
Traffic in Jakarta. Source: Getty
"The idea to move the capital city appeared long ago since [the first president] Sukarno's era. In fact, the idea always comes up during each and every presidential term," Mr Widodo said in April.
"[But] it has never been decided or discussed in a planned and mature manner."
Experts have said the move could cost billions of dollars.
But the country's Planning Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said earlier this year the annual economic loss due to traffic congestion in Jakarta is some 100 trillion rupiah ($10 billion).
Local abandoned mosque stands beyond the seawall in the Muara Baru area in Jakarta. Source: SIPA USA
During the recent election campaign, Mr Widodo promised to spread economic development more evenly outside Java.
The government is yet to announce key logistical details around the move.
Additional reporting: Reuters
