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Indonesia gears up for annual IMF-World Bank meeting
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The International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) conference, during the World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings at IMF headquarters in Washington. (AP/Jose Luis Magana)
Indonesia is gearing up to host the 2018 IMF-World Bank meeting in October 2018 in Bali.
More than 13,000 people from 189 countries are expected participate in the annual event, including official country delegations, international observers, academics, journalists and NGO representatives. At least 30,000 people are expected to travel to Bali in October next year.
A coordination meeting was recently held to discuss the event’s preparation and was attended by Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Tourism Minister Arief Yahya and Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi.
Read also: Benoa cruise terminal to be ready in 2018
Arief Yahya said the annual meeting offered vast opportunity to promote tourist destinations in Bali and beyond, as well as cruise tourism. Yahya has prepared several tourist packages that will be promoted on travel website TripAdvisor.
Besides promoting Bali, the tour packages are for other destinations to which there are direct flights from Bali, such as Lombok, Labuan Bajo, Joglosemar and the iconic Borobudur temple in Yogyakarta. Visitors can also opt to sail to islands located near Bali.
Moreover, Yahya said facilities in Bali would be revamped. Currently, an underpass is under construction at the intersection of the Ngurah Rai Monument in Badung regency to ease traffic on roads connecting Ngurah Rai International Airport, Nusa Dua and Denpasar.
Regarding water pollution in Badung regency, Pandjaitan said water pollution caused by garbage and trash had resulted in the consumption of fish sourced from polluted waterways. He has invited Jakpro Jakarta and another waste management firm from Surabaya to work together to tackle the issue.
Read also: Bali's water question
Another issue raised during the meeting by the maritime affairs minister is a plan to have electric motorcycles placed at main tourist spots, after a trial was done in Jakarta. Budi Karya Sumadi voiced approval of the idea and has asked state-owned electricity company PLN to help facilitate the plan. (asw)
