Indonesia president seeks to speed up "Silicon Valley"-like capital

Indonesian President Joko Widodo reacts during the inauguration of Balikpapan-Samarinda Toll Road section 2, 3 and 4, near the area of Indonesia's new capital in Samboja, Kutai Kartanegara regency, East Kalimantan province, Indonesia December 17, 2019 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Akbar Nugroho Gumay/via REUTERS

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Wednesday he had ordered his cabinet to speed up a $33 billion project to move the capital city from Jakarta to forested Borneo island so that the new "Silicon Valley"-like city could be ready by 2023.

That timeline is a year earlier than the government's original estimate and Widodo said he had also ordered the construction of basic infrastructure to begin next year.