Indonesia’s Prabowo commits to make Bali ‘the new Singapore’ through international airport pledge

When Mr. Made Mangku Pastika, the island’s government, in 2008 and 2018, first mentioned the idea of building an international airports in the Buleleng Regency.

In 2014, Mr. Mangku Pastika initially suggested the development of an international airport, recommending places in the Gerokgak or Kubutambahan districts to relieve traffic, according to Bisnis. &nbsp,

The former chancellor was quoted by the local media outlet Kumparan as saying,” The lane to board the plane you take half an hour or one afternoon, if I want to travel to Jakarta or somewhere else from Ngurah Rai International Airport.” &nbsp,

However, the task to construct the North Bali International Airport was dropped from the list of national strategic initiatives started by former senator Joko” Jokowi” Widodo in July 2022.

According to local media, the proposal was rejected by former senator Megawati Soekarnoputri. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle ( PDI-P), which was the party’s main opposition at the time, is led by Madm Megawati. &nbsp,

” I even said to Cabinet Minister Pramono Anung, on behalf of the people of Bali, do n’t just think about yourselves, Bali is very small, the local population is small and only ( foreign ) investors come here”, she said during a visit to the Sanur Special Economic Zone in Bali in January last year, as reported by CNN Indonesia. &nbsp,

Mdm Megawati reportedly opposed the idea, saying that she believed the aircraft would only gain travelers. She also suggested constructing additional runways at the airport’s current location, Gusti Nugarah Rai International Airport.

Luhut Pandjaitan, the original Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, confirmed on August 29 that strategies are being made to create a light rail transport method to ease street overcrowding from the airport by connecting Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport to well-known tourist destinations like Kuta. &nbsp,

” In terms of equipment, I am pretty sure that we can create Bali better in the future. According to Detik.com, the senator plans to link North and South Bali, according to Mr. Luhut in his presentation address at the 2024 International Quality Tourism Conference on August 29. &nbsp,

On October 21, Mr. Luhut was appointed as the mind of Mr. Prabowo’s revitalized National Economic Council. &nbsp,

In response to Indonesia’s efforts to combat overdevelopment and protect agricultural land in the face of an influx of tourism, Sandiaga Uno, the country’s minister of tourism and artistic business, announced plans to temporarily block the construction of new resorts and villas in the southwestern region on September 3.

The Bali Provincial Government anticipates a steady increase in visitor numbers in the coming decades as more than 15 million tourists are expected to visit Bali, according to The Jakarta Globe, working toward Indonesia’s total goal of welcoming 14 million visitors by the end of the year. &nbsp,