Indonesian President Joko Widodo has marked his first day in office at the country's future capital city, Nusantara. Joko has been the driving force behind the mega-relocation project, but with his term ending in October, attention is focused on whether it will be handed over to the next administration smoothly.

Nusantara lies on Kalimantan Island - more than 1,500 kilometers away from the current capital, Jakarta. The president arrived on Sunday and has been working there since Monday.

Joko has met with several government officials and regional entrepreneurs in his new office. The first cabinet meeting will also take place soon.

Construction of Nusantara is ongoing that Joko says will span 10 to 20 years. He added that this work is progressing according to the existing schedule, following the established phases.

Officials are working to complete key infrastructure projects in Nusantara in time for the Independence Day celebrations on August 17th.

But construction of the new capital has not been without controversy.

The project is estimated to cost about 33 billion dollars. But the government is struggling to attract foreign investors.

A survey conducted last year also showed about 30 percent of those who knew of the relocation plan were opposed to it.

Some experts also point out the project may affect the habitat of wild animals, such as endangered proboscis monkeys which can only be found on Kalimantan Island. They are calling on the government to mitigate the impact on nature.