As an Indonesian, I have never been a fan of our capital city, Jakarta. Born and raised in Surabaya, the second-largest city, I've always seen Jakarta a city of excess, chiefly because since independence it has been the nation's seat of power and wealth at the same time.
In 2021 -- 17 years since the passage of a regional autonomy law that was supposed to boost economic growth for regions outside Jakarta -- 70% of the circulation of money in Indonesia was still concentrated in the capital.
