Koster Asks Luhut for Assistance So Bali Can Receive Infrastructure Incentives

Denpasar (ANTARA) - The Governor of Bali, Wayan Koster, has requested assistance from the Chairman of the National Economic Council (DEN) and Head of the Government’s Digital Transformation Acceleration Committee, Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, so that Bali can receive infrastructure incentives from the central government.

“The problem is that we have never implemented specific regional policies, such as providing incentives for infrastructure in Bali as a tourist area. The policy is the same for all regions, resulting in us in Bali being overwhelmed with this traffic congestion issue,” said Governor Koster in Denpasar, Thursday.

“Therefore, we really need infrastructure support because if we do it alone, we are not capable. So, please provide support to the Minister of Public Works, the Minister of Transportation, the Minister of Finance, and the Minister of Bappenas to give attention,” he continued.

To Luhut, Koster explained that Bali needs assistance in the form of infrastructure incentives given the many issues that could impact tourism.

Regarding the current waste problem, the Bali Provincial Government relies on a policy of waste management at the source or upstream, and downstream efforts are being handled by local governments.

As for traffic congestion, the local government is trying to develop road infrastructure and modes of transportation, but it is constrained by the budget, so it needs central support.

“If this is not managed quickly in a short time, in the next five years, Bali’s tourism will experience a decline in competitiveness, and it may damage Bali’s tourism. If it is damaged, I think it will be difficult to fix,” he said.