DENPASAR: The building of a second airport on the Indonesian island of Bali has yet to get local approval, according to a minister.
A long-standing proposal for a new airport in the north of the island has yet to get backing from Bali’s local government, Indonesia’s Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiago Uno said at a press conference.
"Even though the central government has been open to this initiative for the longest time, when it comes to implementation at the local level, there hasn’t been a unified position,” he said at a meeting with reporters on Friday (Oct 18).
A second airport away from the crowded south has been advocated by the central government in Jakarta as a way to spread the island’s tourism boom away from the most congested areas. The government is considering a ban on the building of villas, beach clubs and hotels in selected places to try and constrain the paradise island’s development boom.
Uno, who confirmed he would not be part of President-elect Prabowo Subianto’s cabinet, said in certain parts of Bali, the rapid pace of construction is "not doable anymore.”
"The roads are small, and with the beach clubs the traffic is horrendous,” he said.
"We need to move rather quickly to stop it before it’s too late.” - Bloomberg
