The President of Indonesia is scheduled to come to Bali in mid-June to formally inaugurate two important new infrastructure projects. President Yudhoyono will preside over the opening of the new Simpang Siur Underpass Interchange in Kuta and the opening of a magnificent new toll way suspended over coastal waters connecting Sanur to the Southern tip of the Island.

Both projects are being completed in record time and are certain to help reduce traffic congestion in Bali and improve the daily experience of both Island visitors and residents. With the inauguration of the two projects there now exists a hope that bottlenecks at the Simpang Siur intersection will become a thing of the past and the one-hour or more drive from Sanur to Nusa Dua will be reduced to only 10-15 minutes.

Amidst these bright prospects of less traffic congestion, we’d like to pause briefly and remind PT Jasa Marga – the company building and supervising the new toll road, of a critical promise they made to the people of Bali.

The original environmental impact study undertaken before the toll way project commenced openly acknowledged the importance of protecting the large mangrove forest area that skirts the shore line under and surrounding the elevated road way. Accordingly, pledges were made to take extraordinary measure and use floating pontoons to install “minimally invasive” pylons that will raise the roadway above the mangrove, allowing the natural ebb and flow of tides, wild life and sea life to go on unimpeded.

Engineering miscalculations, however, underestimated the difficulty of keeping the promise to use floating pontoons, causing the project to resort to using landfill to construct access roads under the path of the roadway.

This change in construction method prompted Friends of the Earth-Bali (WALHI) to scream “foul” – claiming the road project’s failure to stick with the original construction plan was causing massive, possibly irrevocable, damage to an eco-system that plays a central role in the propagation of sea life and in protecting Bali from tidal surges.

When the temporary access roadways were built, WAHLI sent letters of protest to the project managers and Bali’s governor, asking the project be halted until protections could be put in place that would ensure the protection and  sustainability of the nearby mangrove forest.

PT Jasa Marga responded to the protests issuing public assurances that all the temporary roads used in the construction of the highway would be completely removed and the natural state of the mangrove restored.

We take this opportunity to remind PT Jasa Marga of the promises they made and the need to spare no expense in protecting mangrove and Bali’s environment.

At the same time, we also call on Bali’s Governor and the Republic’s President to steadfastly refuse to participate in any formal inauguration of the new project until they personally inspect the area and confirmed that PT Jasa Marga has honored its pledge to the people of Bali and the Island's future generations by removing all the roads beneath the new toll way.

Does the deadline need to be so absolutely enforced? We think so.

Absolute promises made not to strangle the mangrove by building access roads were broken early in the building process. Therefore, now is the time for the project’s manager to demonstrate good faith and do all possible to set things right, even if that entails delaying the opening of the road.

Linking the operation of the highway to the removal of the access roads will also serve as an added incentive for the roadway’s investors to waste no time in keeping promises made to both the mangrove and the people of Bali.

The need to preserve this precious island's environment should never be assigned a less than fundamental priority.

Members of Bali’s tourism industry are planning to establish a Bali Convention Bureau following the completion of the APEC Summit to be held in late 2013.

Bisnis Bali quoted the Executive Director of the Bali Hotels Association (BHA), Djjinaldi Gosana, who confirmed steps are now underway to create a professional convention bureau towards the end of 2013. In the meantime, plans are being formulated covering the organization, funding and responsibilities of the bureau intended to increase the volume of meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) held in Bali.

Gosana said a focused front is needed to manage the promotion and negotiation of MICE activities in Bali, tasked with recruiting world-class events to the island.

The BHA executive director said he hoped members of Bali’s travel industry would use the APEC Summit as an opportunity to promote Bali to the international meeting’s delegates as a means to persuade more international conferences to be held in Bali.

The Bali Convention Bureau, according to Gosana, would ideally be operated under the Bali Tourism Promotion Board now being formulated for the province. “We will also embrace the Bali chapter of the Indonesian Tourism Association (GIPI)," said Gosana.

Batik Air - the new subsidiary airline of the Lion Group - on Friday, May 17, 2013, introduced services from Jakarta to Yogyakarta and to Denpasar (Bali).

Two daily flights between Jakarta and Bali will use Boeing 737-900 aircraft leaving Jakarta at 5:30 am and 6:30 pm. The return flight from Bali to Jakarta leaves the island at 9:10 am and 10:10 pm.

Yogyakarta will also be served with two daily flights from Jakarta. From Jakarta flights will leave at 5:40 am and 4:40 pm. Return flight leave Yogyakarta for Jakarta at 7:40 am and 6:50 pm.

The full service flights will be flown on planes configured for 168 economy passengers and 12 business class seats. Economy seating will feature more ample legroom than on lower-cost Lion Air and will come equipped with touch screen entertainment modules.

The new Yogyakarta and Denpasar services are supplementing existing flights by Batik Air operated from its Jakarta base to Manado, Balikpapan, Ambon and Pekanbaru.

A lively discussion is taking place on what would be the most fitting name for the new toll road suspended above the ocean connecting Benoa – Ngurah Rai International Airport – Nusa Dua scheduled to be open in June.

PT Jasa Marga – the developers and builders of the road have suggested the road be named Jalan Soekarno-Hatta in memory of Indonesia’s first President and Vice-President.

An academician from Bali’s Udayana University, Professor I Nyoman Darma Putra, however, is proposing the thoroughfare be called Jalan I Wayan Lotring, after a famous musical artist of Bali.

Quoted in detik.com, Darma Putra said: “I suggest that the soon-to-be-opened first toll way in Bali be named in the memory of I Wayan Lotring.”

Lotring, who lived from 1898-1983, was an esteemed teacher of Balinese music and dance who made significance contributions in popularizing the Balinese lively arts to the world. Originally from Kuta, Lotring is credited with teaching Balinese music and dance to a large group of both local and international performers.

Explained Darma Putra: “The famous ethnomusicologist from Canada, Colin McPhee, is just one of the people who studied music with Lotring.”

McPhee lived in Ubud in the 1930s and authored the book “A House in Bali” in which Lotring is mentioned togther with other Balinese artists. McPhee wrote extensively on Balinese music and composed several symphonic works based on Balinese musical forms.

Darma Putra complained that to date Lotring has only been remembered in the naming of a small roadway in the Kuta area of Bali. “Now is the time to honor Lotring’s names with a larger road – the first beautiful toll way in Bali,” he said.

Darma Putra warned that Bali should stop naming large roads without some clear foundation in the naming process. He described how the toll way is now being referred to by the initials JDP – an Indonesian acronym for the “road on top of the water.” Similarly, Bali has major roads with anomalistic names such as Jalan Sunset Road or Jalan Marlboro, named after a brand of cigarettes.

“Bali is a cultural tourism destination and the naming of its streets used by local and international visitors with names such as Jalan Wayan Lotring will instill pride in the Balinese for their local culture,” Darma Putra explained.

Other names that have been put forth for the new toll way include:

• Jalan Soekarno Hatta
• Jalan I Gusti Ngurah Rai
• Jalan I Gusti Patih Jelantik
• Jalan I Gusti Nyoman Lempad
• Jalan Made Mangku Pastika 

Badung Regent Selects Jalan Soekarno-Hatta

DenPost reports that the regent of Bali’s Badung province is pushing for the name of Jalan Soekarno-Hatta for the new toll way suspended along the Island’s southern waterfronts

Regent Anak Agung Gde Agung argues that the name Soekarno-Hatta is linked with the Indonesian struggle for independence. In addition to naming the toll way after the first President and Vice-president of the Republic, Agung also suggests a statue dedicated to the two men be built at one of the interchanges on the new road.

Reports of limited outbreaks of the H7N9 virus in Asia in China and as far-afield as the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia are fueling fears that the scourge of the H5N1 Avian Flu virus or its variants could emerge in Bali.

The potentially deadly bird flu virus threatens to both disrupt public health and cripple the local tourism industry if an outbreak of the disease resulted in a sudden downturn in visitors to Bali.

As reported by Bisnis Bali, Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport is seeking to establish a first line of defense against the introduction of any human-borne virus of contagion carried by arriving passengers by installing body-temperature detectors that will separate those running a fever in order further screening can be undertaken by port health officials.

Sherly Yunita, a spokesman for PT Angkasa Pura I, the management authority for Bali’s Airport, said on Tuesday, May 13, 2013, said the airport has prepared all the equipment needed to detect the virus blamed for a number of deaths in nearby China. Said Yunita: “All the equipment is ready. We are only waiting for instructions from the Ministry of Health. If the Ministry of Health agrees, we ill immediately implement the necessary steps.”

Yunita said the preventive detectors on standby could detect elevated body temperatures. There are also disinfection units ready to be used. At the same time, she emphasized that final responsibility in matters of public health and preventative steps to be taken rests with the Ministry of Health.

At the same time, the Department of Health has issued instructions to Bali’s airport instructing increase vigilance on preventing a spread of the H7N9 virus.
 

An article at Beritabali.com, based on an interview with a Balinese hotel manager, carries the dire warning that Bali must work harder to enhance the tourism experience in Bali or risk losing the visitors who feed the island’s main source of income.

Nyoman Astama, with decades of experience in tourism, serves as the general manager of the Bali Niksoma Hotel and is spokesperson for the Kuta Executive Club, said that many tourism stakeholders are powerless to ensure the Island’s tourism is managed on a well-balanced and sustainable basis because  the government takes the lead role in these areas.

Astama, who recently returned from a joint tourism promotional road-show tour of five cities in Australia, said that he met between 100-225 travel agents in each city visited: Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth

Complaints and Questions from Australia

Some of the feedback and complaints gathered by Astama and colleagues from Bali hotels, tour companies and attractions visiting Australia included:

• Traffic congestion is causing people to look for new tourism destinations beyond Kuta.
• Many Bali-bound tourists are now moving to the more remote areas of Bali, such as East Bali and Pemuteran in the north.
• Travel time from Kuta to Legian that once required only 15 minutes can now consume an entire hour.
• There are too many cars parked on narrow roadways.
• Many roads are in a bad state of repair and have dangerous holes.
• Many of the road works and sidewalk construction are not well separated, creating dangers for both vehicles and pedestrians.
• Too many new hotels are being built in Bali exceeding the carrying capacity of the Island’s infrastructure.
• Criminality is on the increase, such as purse snatching, drug use and fraud committed by moneychangers.
• There are increasing numbers of beggars operating on the streets and at stoplights.

Astama told Beritabali.com that because of these many problems, he encountered a variety of questions from the Australians he encountered during his 5-city promotional tour:

• What is being done by the government to resolve traffic congestion?
• Will the planned extension of the current Sunset Road beyond Seminyak and Kerobokan go ahead?
• Are there cases of Legionella still occurring in Bali?
• What are the latest developments in the war on rabies in Bali?
• Why doesn’t your government halt the construction of new hotels?
• When will the expansion of Bali’s airport be completed?
• What is being done to reduce trash accumulating on the beaches during the rainy season?
• Why are there an endless series of road projects in Kuta?
• How is the sewage produced by hotels disposed of? Is there good sewage processing in Bali?
• What is the lowest wage paid to workers in Bali?
• Do all workers pay taxes on their salaries?
• Does Bali have a public health program and pension program for its people?
• Do Balinese workers receive paid holidays?
• What’s is being done by the government of Bali to protect local culture?

Astama said that if all the many questions he received while visiting Australia were written down the list would become endless. This curiosity on the part of Australian visitors, he feels, demonstrates the concern tourist visitors have for Bali, its people and its culture. At the same time, the strong friendships formed between many Australians and Balinese is being threatened by reports of crime and violence that has many visitors worried that Bali has somehow fundamentally changed.

Nyoman Astama said that if the Balinese wish visitors to continue to come to their Island now if the time to take action! Similarly, if the government whishes to achieve its goal of 3 million tourists in 2013, he said those running the Island’s administration must demonstrate concrete and coordinated steps to urgently address the many problems plaguing Bali. Failure to take such steps, Astama feels, threatens to hurt Bali’s reputation as an international tourism destination.

The Balinese hotelier said the many problems put forth by Australian agents need policies and regulations to be put in place by government officials. Given the long list of things to be done, he warned that the jobs ahead must be ranked for completion in terms of urgency and priority.

Solving the Traffic Problem

Astama continued, saying the top priority items that must be urgently addressed do not necessarily require large amounts of money, such as finding solutions to the traffic congestion in Kuta, Legian and Seminyak. If Badung administrators do not address traffic congestion in Kuta-Seminyak-Legian soon he is worried that the image of that area will soon fall victim to negative international news coverage

Astama said some of the possible solutions to traffic congestion in the Kuta-Seminyak-Legian corridor include:

• Surveying where and at what time traffic bottlenecks take place.
• Introducing one-way traffic during specific periods as a means of reducing traffic congestion.
• Outlawing vehicular traffic in certain areas during specific hours, while at the same time providing alternative traffic routes.
• Regulating parking on the sides of streets and fine parking violators heavily.
• Outlawing parking on pedestrian walkways and punish violators.
• Regulating hours for the delivery of good and materials.
• Limiting the use of large vehicle to nighttime hours.
• Evaluating the timing of traffic light and lengthen the periods for green lights to help with traffic flows.
• Undertaking coordination with relevant government departments on working hours to help spread out loads on the road system during peak traffic hours.
• Deploying more traffic supervision personnel on roads in the Kuta-Seminyak-Legian area.
• Coordinating with local villages on street closures for traditional and religious ceremonies.
• Requiring that signage be installed with information on alternative routes and advising on closed streets before vehicles enter the affected areas.

Nyoman Astama said he hope the input from people he met in Australia and suggestions he is personally offering will help Kuta area businesses meet the challenges ahead and help reduce traffic congestion.

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The State News Agency Antara reports that Garuda Indonesia will soon begin operating a daily flight between Denpasar (Bali) and Bandung, West Java.

The national carrier plans to use Boeing 737 aircraft configured to carry 150 economy and 12 executive passengers

Plans for the new route were revealed by the general manger of Garuda’s Denpasar office, Taufik Hidayat, while we was attending the Indonesia Travel Fair.

The Bali to Bandung flight will depart Bali each day at 11:00 am.

 

Seputarbali.com reports that a Perth, Western Australia resident is warning people getting tattoos in Bali to be aware of the risk of allergic reactions to the dyes used to mark the skin.

Based on a report originally published in the West Australian, a Perth boy suffered severe reactions to dyes used on a temporary tattoo he received in Bali, a problem reportedly linked to a toxic chemical contained in the dyes.

The man from Perth who refused permission to print his complete name, said his 11-year-old son developed rashes all over his body after getting a temporary tattoo in Bali in April.

Later, doctors in Perth traced the boys condition to paraphenylenediamine (PPD), a chemical found in boot polish.

A treatment regime of antibiotics, cortisones and steroid are being used, but doctors say the scars may persist for up to 12 months. A younger brother who received a similar tattoo at the same establishment had no allergic reaction.

The Doctor in Perth who treated the boy said he sees at least one such case each month in his practice linked to a Bali tattoo. The doctor said 10-20% of the people receiving a temporary tattoo suffer some sort of allergic reaction.

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[Picture Perfect Skin]
 

The Bali Daily (Jakarta Post) hints that the Bali Transportation Agency plans to introduce substantially higher fares for passengers who use a new bus service to connect the Trans-Sarbagita Bus Network to Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport.

Set to start trial operations in late May 2013, the new service will represent the third corridor of service for the Trans-Sarbagita system. Existing routes run from Batubulan to Nusa Dua and Denpasar to Jimbaran.

Dewa Putra Putu Punia Asa, head of the Bali Transportation Agency said: 

“We will trial the airport route after the gubernatorial election is over. After the trial, we will study special tariffs for the route.”

The current bus fare on the Sarbagita system is Rp. 3,500 (US$0.35). However, an individual ticket of Rp. 30,000 (US$3) is being considered for those considering taking the bus to the airport. A lower, discounted monthly fare would also be available in order to encourage 8,000 airport workers to help reduce traffic congestion by using the bus system.

The implementation of the airport bus service remains dependent on a supply of subsidized buses promised by the Transportation Ministry. Bali is waiting for a delivery of 30 new buses promised by Jakarta, part of which will be used on the new route.

Jakarta transportation officials are, however, painting a doubtful picture on if and when more busses will be coming from Jakarta. Bali is being urged to invest its own funds in developing the bus system.

Bali Transportation officials have said they would, if necessary, borrow five buses from the existing bus system to provide public bus transport to the airport.

Rather than wait for busses or funding from Jakarta, the director of Urban Transport System Development at the Land Transportation Directorate General of the Transportation Ministry, Djoko Saksono, said: 

“The central government has provided bus grants in the past, now we expect the local administration to start developing their system, instead of relying on the central government’s grants. We do believe that public transportation in Bali is urgent. But our support may not always come in the form of state budget allocation because it is limited.”

Due to the increase in robberies and burglaries at villas in North Kuta, Seminyak and Canggu - Bali’s Chief of Police General Arif Wachyunadi has assigned 50 members of the police’s elite mobile brigade (brimob) to the affected areas in an effort to reduce crime.

According to DenPost, the spokesman for the Bali Police, Hariadi, confirmed on May 9, 2013, the deployment of specially trained police to North Kuta, now designated as a “safe zone” by the police.

An unnamed source told DenPost that joint forces from the Badung Police Precinct and the Crime Division of the Bali Police are now “working hard” to investigate the unsolved robberies and burglaries of villas in North Bali.

Suspected hiding places of known criminal elements are being systematically raided across the Badung regency and Denpasar and a large number of criminals have been taken into custody.

The 50 members of the elite mobile brigade have been assigned to areas considered sensitive for crime and at key intersections in North Kuta.

Meanwhile, Police say the scant security measures put in place at many villas by their owners are partly to blame for recent increase in criminality. Many villas stand alone and separated in rice fields, located at a distance from the more populous and secure residential areas.

Both the police and the governor have in the past urged the installation of CCTV cameras, higher walls and additional security staff. Unfortunately, in many cases owners, more intent on preserving views than building tall fortifications, have ignored these recommendations

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A survey carried out by Bali’s Provincial Tourism Authority in 2012 identified traffic congestion as a major complaint made by international holidaymakers coming to the Island.

As reported by Bali Daily (The Jakarta Post), survey respondents urged urgent action be taken to address widespread traffic problems in Bali.

According to the head of the Bali Tourism Authority (Kadisparda), Ida Bagus Subhisku, the survey sought feedback from 1,000 respondents on matters ranging from traffic, customs, accommodation, restaurants, transportation, taxis and cleanliness.

A worrying 57% of those responding provided negative reviews of traffic conditions.

Survey participants were approached at Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport during the departure process at the end of a holiday spent on Bali.

Subhisku characterized the negative feedback on traffic as “understandable” – especially those traveling in South Bali where the airport is located. The Tourism chief was quick to point out that traffic perceptions were no doubt influenced by the massive infrastructure projects underway that, when completed, will help alleviate much of the problem.

Bali is in the finishing phases of a major expansion of the airport, the construction of a underpass at the Simpang Siur intersection in Kuta and the Benoa-Ngurah Rai-Nusa Dua toll way.

And, while the infrastructure improvements will do much to help ease Bali’s traffic congestion, they should not be seen as a panacea to the Island’s traffic woes. Serious traffic congestion will persist in the capital city of Denpasar and central Kuta, while horrific and frequent accidents along the Denpasar-Gilimanuk highway will also continue to occur.

Badung Regent AA Gde Agung blamed traffic problems on illegal parking and asked local businesses in Kuta not to park on sidewalks. Yet, street side parking persists despite the availability of off-street parking.

Agung is promising to create no-parking areas in Kuta.

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[Call to Action]

The flagship of Greenpeace – The Rainbow Warrior, returned triumphantly to Indonesia on May 9, 2013, after being unceremoniously shown the door by Indonesian officials in October 2010.

The Rainbow Warrior sailed into the Papuan port of Jayapura as part of its stated mission, according to Greenpeace Indonesia’s Country Director for Indonesia, Longgena Ginting, “to raise awareness of Indonesia’s rich yet fragile environment, and to support President SBY’s commitment to protect the country’s forests and to restore our living oceans back to health.”

Continued Ginting: “Indonesia is home to some of the richest biodiversity spots on earth, but continued land clearance to make way for industrial plantations and overfishing of our country’s oceans are putting this all at risk. We hope our visit will support the political will needed to save this precious part of the world and to add to growing momentum to have the forests moratorium strengthened.”

Known for its rich biodiversity, Indonesia's aggressive land clearance and overfishing threaten future sustainability. The Country is home to 10% of the world’s rainforests, but the amount of the country covered in primal forests has declined from 82% to just 42% in the span of only 50 years.

Offshore, Indonesia’s coastal and marine habitats are now considered among areas most at risk from overfishing, pollution and climate change.

Signifying a change in atmosphere, Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has accepted an invitation extended by the Executive Director of Greenpeace International, Kimi Naidoo, to visit the ship during its current Indonesian tour.

The ship left Jayapura on May 11, 2013 and sailed to Manokwari, Raja Ampat and Sorong. The famous Greenpeace vessel is scheduled to berth in Bali May 31-June 1, 2013, before visiting Jakarta June 7-10, 2013.

The Rainbow Warrior  is actually the third ship bearing that name. The 1st Rainbow Warrior was bombed and sunk in 1985 by French secret agents displeased with Greenpeace’s vocal opposition to nuclear testing on pristine South Pacific islands. A second ship by the same name, sailed for 22 years campaigning the globe on behalf of a greener world until it retired on August 16, 2011. The latest ship – built to the greenest specifications, entered service on October 14, 2011, continuing its proud legacy of environmental advocacy.

In the words of Longgena Ginting, “The Rainbow Warrior has been the heart and soul of Greenpeace global campaigning for over 30 years. She’s been raided, rammed, shot at and bombed, but the spirit of the Rainbow Warrior is as strong as ever.”

The prolonged global economic crisis has seen many of the companies involved in the export of Balinese handicrafts cease operations.

At the same time, the desire or ability of consumers to purchase local handicrafts is on the decline among both foreign and domestic visitors to Bali.

Traditional craftsmen, for whom the production of handicrafts has been a family trade passed on from one generation to the next, are now seeking new fields of work. Some have become farmers, coolies at local construction sites or workers in private industry.

According to Bisnis Bali, I Wayan Budi, a Denpasar resident who created handicrafts for more than a dozen years has seen his daily income decrease from US$7.50 to just US$2.50. Recently, however, his income had dropped to zero on many days due to the lack of sales.

Said Wayan Budi: “We are seeing the handicraft sector as holding little promise for the future. The condition is very bad. Sudden last minute orders have all but disappeared. Friends in the same business say that many former buyers have gone bankrupt.”

I Wayan Leder, a statuette maker from Bangli, also complains that the handicraft market has collapsed. Unable to live any longer from his meager income as a skilled handicraft maker, Leder now works as a collie on a building site where he can earn US$5 a day. Bali’s building boom at least offers a more certain source of income than creating souvenirs for sale to tourist or for exporters.

One observer of the handicraft sector, Drs. I Dewa Ngurah Dharendra, estimated that at its peak 25,000 people worked as handicraft makers. By extrapolating that each worker provided an income for a family of five, a total of 125,000 Balinese were dependent on the handicraft sector. That number is, however, clearly on the decline with fewer and fewer Balinese able to eek a livelihood from the production and sale of handicraft items.

The Bali Election Commission (KPU-Bali) is at something of a quandary with both contesting parties in the May 15, 2013 gubernatorial race claiming victory.

Quoted by the States News Agency Antara, Ketut Sukawati Lanang Putra Perbawa, the chairman of KPU-Bali, said: “This condition is creating many questions among the public and clearly we have not yet issued any election results, informally or otherwise.”

The uncertain atmosphere pending the official election results announcement expected on May 27, 2013, prompted the KPU-Bali to convene a coordination meeting of island leaders to prevent rival claims of victory from dividing the community and creating unnecessary unrest.

“We will proceed according the phased schedule and provide the results of the recapitulation of votes on May 27, 2013. We hope the process will proceed peacefully without any malfeasance,” said Lanang Putra.

The phased vote counting process set by the KPU-Bali called for the count of village votes May 16-18; count of votes on the district level (kecamatan) May 19-21; and count of votes on the regency and metropolitan level May 22-24. The provincial count will occur between May 25-27.

Lanang Putra told the press that each phase of the recapitulation of votes would be witnessed by representatives of both competing parties, law enforcement authorities and an election supervisory board – all in place to prevent subsequent claims from any quarter of malfeasance in the counting of votes.

Meanwhile, unofficial “quick counts” of the vote show inconclusive results against the official margin of error. Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) showed only 0.62 percent margin dividing the two sets of candidates, well within the 1% margin of error.

A prolonged period during which Bali will not know who will serve as its next governor is becoming increasingly likely as the contending parties may appeal the results announced on May 27 and  seek a new election. Supporting such a call is concrete proof of illegal ballot formatting and a large number of documented invalid ballots cast at some polling places.

The Gianyar district of Bali is preparing to implement the provincial smoke-free area regulations in its area by setting up smoking rooms and smoking corners reserved especially for smokers in public areas.

As reported by Beritabali.com, during a meeting recently held between the chairman of Bali Child Protection Agency's (LPA) Ni Nyoman Masni and the Regent of Gianyar Anak Agung Bharata it was agreed that the regency would soon promulgate rules on smoke-free areas.

Masni told the press: “I have asked the Regent to quickly realize the smoke-free rules for Gianyar in order that the rules and legal basis are clear. We are not forbidding people to smoke but to regulate smoking in order that the health of non-smokers is not affected.”

Meanwhile, the Bali Chapter of the Association of Indonesian Teachers (PGRI-Bali), represented by Ida Bagus Putu Sudiarta, is also urging the regency of Gianyar to quickly implement the no-smoking zone rule. “We have a rule, but we have no enforcement. If a teachers smokes, who’s to forbid it? We need firm enforcement and supervision,” said Sudiarta.

The Regent of Gianyar, Anak Agung Bharata, said he welcomes the steps being taken to push the promulgation of rules on smoke-free areas in Gianyar. Bharata said the implementation of these rules is important to the health of the public, particularly children.

The Regent continued: “I feel the implementation of no-smoking zones is very good, especially since I am a former heart patient, which means health is everything to me. Wherever there’s smoke it’s bad for public health. I will establish smokers’ corners or smoking areas like you see in Japan. I am committed to the smoke-free-area rules. We will formulate them together.”

The Gianyar Regency will first focus on rules for non-smoking areas in schools, especially grade schools. To this end, he is seeking input from the LPA and the principals of schools in Gianyar.

Large billboards are popping up across the island welcoming “invited guests” to a very special “by invitation only” black-tie dinner party to be held at The Mulia –Mulia Resort and Villa at Nusa Dua on Saturday, May 25, 2013.

y is believed to be part of a series of grand opening celebrations to be hosted at The Mulia, Mulia Resort and Villas in Nusa Dua.

While details remain sketchy for this private affair, the billboards reveal that the dinner party at the new 5-star resort will feature a fashion show by the internationally renowned haute couture designer Adrian Gan and music by the superstar Il Divo musical operatic pop vocal group.

Created by Simon Cowell, the U.K.-based group is comprised of French pop singer Sébastien Izambard, Spanish baritone Carlos Marín, American tenor David Miller, and Swiss tenor Urs Bühler.

Il Divo has sold more than 26 million albums worldwide.

A team coordinated by the head of the Kuta, Bali police precinct, I Gede Putu Dedy Ujana, is now studying proposed major changes in traffic patterns in order to reduce traffic congestion.

Among the changes under consideration is turning Jalan Raya Kuta into a one-way street.

The Community Head (Lurah) of Kuta, I Wayan Daryana, confirmed to DenPost the possible change in Kuta traffic flows. Daryana said the change has been on the table for at least three months for consideration and input from sub-district officials, community associations and the military.

Daryana called for a phased introduction of any major change to the traffic pattern, allowing the public to become gradually familiar with the change and provide feedback to officials.

The proposed change would see the roadways from in front of Galael Supermarket until Jalan Raya Kuta become a one-way road traveling south.

This would help eliminate the traffic bottleneck in front of the busy Joger shop where customers often park on one side of the road and then attempt u-turns to return.

Dedi said. “I hope that if Jalan Raya Kuta becomes one-way, the traffic jams will end.”

It is not clear from the press reports if all of Jalan Raya Kuta commencing from the airport will become a one-way street or only a portion of that road.

More details as they become available.

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A Bumper-to-Bumper Crop

Call to Action

Plans to construct and open a waterboom recreational park in the Samplangan district of Gianyar appear to be in doubt.

The park and supporting structures located on 1.8 hectare of land now stand half-completed as construction workers abandoned the project when their paychecks stop flowing.

Bali Post reports that an inspection of the Bukit Jati Waterboom Project site on Friday, May 17, 2013, revealed a partially completed two-storey building stood in front of a swimming pool. Two swimming pools, opened to the public and local athletes before the project was commenced, now stand empty and in a state of disrepair.

Local residents say workers employed in building the water recreation site stopped work in February 2013 when they no longer were paid wages for their labors.

The regency government of Gianyar has made no comment on the current status of the Bukit Jati project.

Originally, plans were for the park to become fully operational in December 2012 following a groundbreaking ceremony held on May 4, 2012.

The former regent or Gianyar, Cokorda Artha Ardhana Sukawati officiated at the groundbreaking attended by the CEO of PT Karya Makmur Dewata Group, R.A. Rahardjo.

Karya Makmur Dewata presented itself at the groundbreaking as the developer of the project that promised to provide valuable work opportunities for the surrounding community.

The future of the half-completed project now appears to be very much in doubt. Meanwhile, a public swimming area once enjoyed by the public may prove to be one victim of the failed water park project. 

Part of the renovation program of Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport includes structural modifications that will allow Airbus A380 aircraft to land and take off from Bali.

The Airbus A380 aircraft is currently the world's largest passenger aricraft in operation.

NusaBali quoted Dahlan Iskan, the Minister for State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) telling Tempo.co that Bali would “be the first airport that can accept the Airbus A380 double-decker aircraft.”

In order for an airport to handle the Airbus A380 Super Jumbo aircraft , the subject airport must have the passenger carrying capacity be contemplated  in its check-in, waiting rooms and baggage handling facilities in order to handle the arrival and departure of more than 600 passengers on a single aircraft.

Angkasa Pura I – the State-owned company that manages Indonesia’s major airports, is targeting that Bali’s newly renovated airport will be able to accommodate the Airbus A380 together with Terminal 3 at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport.

The renovated Bali air gateway will have 12 air bridges for the arrival and departure of aircraft with only one capable of linking to the two-storey Airbus A380 passenger access configuration. The two-storey air bridge will, however, be able to serve other aircraft when not in use for Airbus A380.

Questions remain, however, on whether or not the 2,750-meter runway at Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport can facilitate the take-off  requirements of a fully loaded and fully fueled Airbus A380. 

After working continuously since 2011, Denpasar’s Sanglah General Hospital has finally earned international accreditation from Joint Commission International (JCI).

JCI, established in 1994, is represented in more than 90 countries worldwide promoting rigorous standards of health care at its accredited institutions.

Sanglah’s accreditation by JCI was granted in April 2013 is based on 14 benchmarks of health care and service covering some 1,812 separate criteria.

In qualifying for JCI accreditation, Sanglah General Hospital underwent three separate operational audits undertaken in August 2012, December 2012 and finally in April 2013. Of the 1,812 separate functions reviewed during the surveys, Sanglah obtained passing marks on 97%.

With JCI accreditation Sanglah General Hospital in Bali becomes the first Balinese hospital to win certification and the second in Indonesia after Cipto Mangunkusumo Public Hospital in Jakarta.

The accreditation process requires recertification once every three years. 

Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport has completed construction of a special charter aircraft facility to handle the estimated more than 1,000 private aircraft that land on the island each year.

Bali Post quotes Purwanto, the general manger of PT Angkasa Pura I, the State-owned company that manages the airport, saying: “ We have built an apron for 14 small-bodied aircraft. There have been many small airplanes/charters bringing VIPs to Bali, with each year the number reaching thousands.”

In the past, visits by unscheduled charter aircraft have proven problematic with visiting private jets not allowed to overnight at the airport due to a lack of available  parking space.

The additional apron space for small jets is aimed to allow more high-spending VIPS to spend time on the island.