Koster Asks AHY for Rp 5 Trillion from Bali Tourism Foreign Exchange for Infrastructure

Bali Governor Wayan Koster has requested the central government allocate approximately Rp 5 trillion for infrastructure development in Bali. The request was made directly to Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) during a Regional Development Coordination Meeting at the Governor’s Office on Monday (20/7/2026). Koster explained that Bali is beginning to lag behind tourist destinations in Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, partly due to inadequate infrastructure. “So our main problem is infrastructure to increase the competitiveness capacity of Bali tourism so that Bali tourism can truly move up a class, sustainably. That is what we really need,” Koster said during his presentation. “So I am confident that if, for example, the infrastructure investment in Bali is Rp 5 trillion, the return on investment will be quick, sir, so the economy will move,” Koster continued. Koster was candid about the current situation, seeking central government support to prevent Bali from falling further behind. “Tourism in Bali could stagnate and experience a decline, and tourism foreign exchange will also be threatened with a continuous decrease,” he revealed. Koster also detailed that Bali’s tourism foreign exchange contribution to the national total is 55 per cent, or Rp 176 trillion out of a total of Rp 319 trillion. Furthermore, Bali’s economic growth in 2025 reached 5.82 per cent, the highest among provinces without natural resources. “So, sir, imagine this small island has an extraordinary contribution to national tourism foreign exchange,” explained the PDIP politician.