DENPASAR ~

Bali provincial government asked the businessman from China to invest in the infrastructure sector on the island as part of efforts to develop sustainable tourism.

“In order to increase tourist visits to Bali, it is very important to provide adequate infrastructure such as roads, electricity, water and other good things,” Economic and Development Assistant Provincial Government of Bali Ketut Wija said in a seminar, in Denpasar on Friday.

According to him, with good infrastructure, tourists can easily reach the intended destination. “Indeed tourist visits to Bali so far always increasing, nearly 11 million people per year. In 2014, foreign tourist arrivals more than 3.7 million and domestic tourists more than 6.9 million people,” he said.

Chinese tourist arrival to Bali in 2014 is more than 600 thousand or an increase of 51 percent over the previous year. It is hoped in 2015, Chinese tourist arrivals can reach 1 million.

Wija added, for the development of sustainable tourism in Bali, so far still faced some constraints such as security issues, handling and waste management, as well as traffic congestion. “So, we expect advice and investment from Chinese entrepreneurs to help in solving those problems,” he said.

He also outlined a number of infrastructure development projects being designed on the island, and some have already entered the stage of pre-feasibility studies such as the construction of toll from Denpasar-  Gilimanuk and highway connecting Denpasar to North Bali.

There are also plans to build the airport in Buleleng Regency, development of Tanah Ampo Cruise Port, Port Amed, Nusa Penida ring road, the construction of an international stadium and so on. “The development of infrastructure related to interests other than tourism, as well as to reduce the economic gap between the region of southern Bali with the north, east, and west,” said Wija.

Consulate General of China in Denpasar, Hu Yinquan said through this seminar, companies from China can understand more about the potential of Bali, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). “If the infrastructure is less developed, it will affect the weak competitiveness of Indonesia,” he said.

Chinese entrepreneurs, said Yinquan, has an advantage in the field of finance and technology that currently becomes the weaknesses in infrastructure development in Indonesia. The seminar was also attended by Vice Governor of NTB Muhammad Amin, NTT Governor Frans Lebu Raya, Chairman of China Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia Liu Haosheng, representative of regents and mayors in Bali, entrepreneurs from China and other invitees.