Bali’s minimum wage rule, although increased 20%, from the level in 2012, is not receiving an enthusiastic welcome from many workers in Bali who view the new and official declared lowest wage level as insufficient to meet basic human needs.

The provincial wage council’s recommendation to the Governor of a wage of Rp. 1,181,000 per month (US$123) was described by the chairman of the Indonesian National Front for the Workers Struggle (Front Nasional Perjuangan Buruh Indonesia), Ichsan Tantowi, as too little in comparison with the rate of inflation and the current growth in the economy. Quoted by Kompas.com, Ichsan said: “The increase (in the minimum wage) is clearly inadequate. Moreover, there will soon be increases in the cost of fuel and electricity.”

Ischan Tantowi’s comments were made at a discussion held at the office of the Alliance of Independent Journalists in Denpasar on Wednesday, December 5, 2012.

In Ichsan’s view, the minimum wage for Bali in 2013 should be set at Rp. 1,400,000 (US$146) per month when viewed in terms of the cost of basic needs to sustain life, the rate of inflation and coming increases in energy costs that he claims will result in prices increases generally.

Minimum Wage Protests

Seputarbali.com reports that a group of protestors representing workers and members of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) marched on the office of Bali’s governor on Thursday, December 6, 2012, demanding that the decision to set the minimum monthly wage in Bali at Rp. 1,181,000 be withdrawn and urgently reviewed.

The demonstration, dominated by workers from Indonesia’s textile and garment sector, held banners posters demanding a living wage for Bali’s lowest paid workers.

The chairman of AJI, Rofiqi Hasan, spoke on behalf of the group demanding the minimum monthly wage in Bali be increased to Rp. 1.4 million.

The protestors also called for the establishment of an independent workers supervision council to ensure the interests and security of the lowest paid workers are not forgotten.

The governor, who was away from his office on a trip, was unable to meet with the protestors, but has publicly expressed his concern that Bali’s minimum wage standard was insufficient and needed review.

Related Article

[We Work Hard for Our Money]

 

Through the formalization of code-sharing agreements with Etihad Airlines, the national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has connected with six new routes to Europe and one additional destination in the Middle East.

Working with the Abu Dhabi-based airline, Garuda now can include London, Manchester, Paris, Moscow, Athens and Mucat in its saleable and ticketable route network.

Quoted by The Jakarta Post, Garuda’s spokesman, Pujobroto, issued a statement saying, “Under the new agreement, Garuda also moved its international hub from Dubai to Abu Dhabi as of Sunday, Dec. 2.”

Flights from Jakarta to Amsterdam that once featured an intermediate stop in Dubai have now shifted to Abu Dhabi to provide better through connections to code-shared flights with Etihad Airline.

The changeover from Dubai to Abu Dhabi too effect on December 2, 2012.

Garuda Indonesia’s CEO, Emirsyah Satar, has declared Etihad as Garuda’s “main partner” for west-bound flights while the Indonesian carrier would take an equally dominating role in Etihad’s flights to the East.

"Through Abu Dhabi international airport, the Garuda passengers have better access to more than 80 cities in 50 countries in Europe, North America, Middle East and Africa,” said Satar.

Under the terms of the code-share agreement, Garuda's “GA” code will be shown on Etihad’s flights from Jakarta to 31 destinations in the Gulf, Levant, Africa, Europe and North America. Meanwhile Etihad’s “EY” code will be written on Garuda services on Jakarta-Denpasar and Jakarta-Kuala for tickets.

The State Power Board for Bali (PLN-Bali) has issued assurances that electrical supplies for Christmas 2012 and New Year 2013 will be adequate to meet demand over the coming peak period.

Quoted by the State News Agency Antara, the public affairs spokesman for PLN-Bali, Agung Mastika, said, “It is still safe (power supplies) through the 2013 New Year’s period.”

Bali’s total power supply of 690 megawatts is met through a number of power generating stations on the island and a submarine cable carrying power form neighboring Java. This supply of power exceed peak power demands of 644 megawatts

Mastika explained that 30% of all power consumed in Bali goes to the Nusa Dua area of Bali where the largest concentration of starred hotels is found. The peak demand in power from the Nusa Dua area reaches 170 megawatts.

Mastika added that PLN-Bali is hoping that a new coal-burning power generating center at Celukan Bawang in North Bali will soon come on line in order to held the island meet its ever-increasing power demands.

Registration is now open for the 2013 Biznet Bali International Triathlon that returns to Bali for its seventh season on June 23, 2013.

rd registration fees end December 31, 2012, so participants are urged to register this month to enjoy the lowest entry fee.

Registration can be done on-line through the event upgraded web site, [www.balitriathlon.com]. Click on the yellow “Online Registration” bar on the right side of the home page to redirected to Active.com for registration.

The 2013 race promises to be the best ever, with many improvements to both the bike and run courses to further improve athlete safety. In addition, world champion triathlete Chris Lieto and More Than Sport are joining the event to make a meaningful contribution to the people of Bali.

Visit [www.morethansport.org] to learn how to help. Race participants can begin helping by donating as they register - look for the "Donate Now to More Than Sport" box on the race registration page.

Record numbers are expected to register for this year’s event.

Plan To Arrive Early In Bali

As in past years, a large part of what makes the BIZNET Bali International Triathlon special are the unique pre-race events on offer.

Racers in Bali in the days leading up to the actual race can participate in the escorted course ride and bike blessing ceremony, both to be held on Friday morning, June 21, 2013. The course ride will begin at 8:00 a.m. at the transition area located at the Intercontinental Bali Resort, and will end at the same location. The bike blessing ceremony, performed by a Hindu priest, will begin at 10:00 am at the conclusion of the course ride.

Related Links

[BIZNET Bali International Triathlon] 

[Biznet Bali International Triathlon Set to Return]  

[MORE THAN SPORT]

[CHRIS LIETO – Professional Ironman Triathlete] 

Three bouncing babies born at the Bali Zoo represent small but significant strides in the propagation of endangered specials.

The Zoo, located at Singapadu, Ginayar, recently welcomed a newborn Bali Starling, a Silvery Gibbon and a baby wallaby.

The births have brought the population of these species at the Zoo to three mynas, five silvery gibbons and nine wallabies.

The Zoo is carefully showcasing their new babies to visitors, using a gathering of the press on Monday, December 3, 2012 to allow a glimpse of the newcomers.

Quoted in Radar Bali, the spokesperson for the facility, Emma Kristiana Chandra, said, “Once again we have been successful in breeding rare and protected animals in the collection of the Bali Zoo.”

The Silvery Gibbon was born to its proud 12-year-old parents Koko and Minuldan Owa on November 17, 2012. The sex of he baby gibbon remains a mystery to zoo workers, however, as the baby primate has remained in the close embrace of its mother since birth.

The baby Bali Starling was hatched on November 21, 2012 and weighed 66 grams at birth.

The baby Wallaby was born on October 6, 2012 weighing 400 grams at birth.
 
[Visit the Bali Zoo]

Strawberries are a delicate fruit that are generally not suited to cultivation in tropical climates. However, the cooler elevations of Bali mountain-lake district of Bedugul is home to a thriving strawberry growing industry that has become a popular stop for tourist visitors to Bali.

Hundred of strawberry cultivators now surround the areas at Candi Kuning. And, while many strawberry farmers sell their freshly picked fruit to buyers in Denpasar or from road-side stands, there are some other enterprising farmers who have chosen to allow tourists to visit their farms and pick their own baskets of delicious fruit.

As reported by DenPost, one of the strawberry farmers creating an agricultural “hands-on” experience is Bapak Lancar (48). According to Lancar, formerly, when he picked the strawberries himself and sold them to distributors he often lost money. But, now, when tourist visitors pick their own strawberries the demand for his product together with the price remain high.

The farmer, who originally hails from the village of Panca Sari in Buleleng, merely hangs a crude, handmade sign inviting tourist passing his lakeside farm at Danau Buyan and then welcomed “pickers” arriving at his door.

Once the tourists pick their strawberries, Bapak Lancar weighs the fruit for which he charges only Rp. 25,000 (US$2.60) per kilogram. Regular customers sometimes get a discount price of Rp. 20,000 a kilogram and its is widely suspected that some strawberries are discounted further through the spontaneous gratification of immediate strawberry consumption before they reach the weighing station.

Lancar takes such petty "thievery" in stride, saying that a strawberry plant will produce fruit for at least three years and the care of the plants is a fairly simple process once they are planted.

He is also pleased that the strength of his strawberry plants minimizes the need for pesticides and the water for his strawberries comes from the nearby lake.

Pak Lancar even manages to laugh when he relates the story of one visitor who failed to buy any strawberries, having already eaten his fill during the picking process.

On an average day this good-natured farmer manages to sell around Rp. 300,000 (US$31.25) of strawberries – an amount roughly equal to 12 kilograms. On weekends and holidays that amount can increase to as much as Rp. 1.5 million (US$156.25) in a single day.

“Most of my customers are families on holiday or teenagers on a date. Not only that, but local residents from nearby Singaraja on their way to Denpasar often stop to pick strawberries to bring as gifts to families and friends in the capital,” explained Lancar.

The provincial government of Bali remains committed in its desire to build a rail system as a means of spreading the benefits of tourism development more evenly to all corners of the island.

Moreover, Bali’s leaders see a rail system as a means of overcoming the growing problem of traffic congestion on the provinces’ roadways.
But, despite the popularity of the idea of a Bali Rail System, a feasibility study conducted by PT Kereta Api Indonesia (the State-owned Railway) doubts the viability of the project.

As quoted by the State New Agency Antara, Governor Made Mangku Pastika, said: “I have herd that the results of the feasibility study concluded the cost (of the Bali rail project) is too high in comparison with the revenues the rail system will generate. Because of that, for the immediate future the plan for a rail system in postponed. But, if that’s the case, we’ll look for an investor.”

One of the factors that reportedly sunk the Bali rail project was the current high cost of land in Bali.

The governor explained that the initial plan was for the development of the rail project to involve State-owned Companies with the provincial and regional governments in a manner similar to that used in building the new toll road connecting Benoa-Ngurah Rai Airport-Nusa Dua.

The governor said that any evaluation of the viability of the rail project should also consider the social, cultural and social justice potential of undertaking the construction of a round island railway.

The governor used the occasion to describe how the proposed railway would serve as a motor for the economies of all areas the system visited, and remove the concentration of development in Bali away from the crowded south.

“In the future, feasibility studies must be more details and include the provincial government. If the system remains non-viable, then we need to use funds from outside. If we can, we should try it ourselves; don't let the system by owned by outsiders,” said Pastika.

The governor  also suggested that in order to save money the rail system might be built on one side of existing highways around the island.

Related Article

[All Aboard!]

The State News Agency Antara reports that M.S. Hidayat, the Minister for Industry, is blaming Indonesia ‘s inefficient bureaucracy and lack legal certainty as roadblocks to growing the industrial sector through national investment.

"An inefficient bureaucracy hinders the growth of national investments, especially in the industrial sector. In addition, legal uncertainty is a major concern for investors," commented Hidayat on Wednesday, December 5, 2012.

Citing Indonesia’s recent macroeconomic growth, Hidayat says many challenges remain in efforts to develop the industrial sector.

"Indonesia's economy is growing at a fast pace. In fact, in Asia, Indonesia¿s economic growth is ranked second, after China's economic growth. At the beginning of 2010, we started facing difficulties since 220 (out of 3,000) domestic commodities were less competitive than China's," he explained.

Hidayat said the national industrial sector had been experiencing growth through the end of 2011 at a rate if 2.85%. Growth for the year 2010 stood at only 2.5%.

Farmers and subak members owning plots of land along the roadside of the Jalan Bypass Ida Bagus Mantra connection Denpasar and Gianyar are complaining that their land taxes have become too expensive.

Quoted by the National News Agency Antara, Wayan Wana, a member of the Subak traditional water rights organization, said: “The taxes have doubled. In fact, the irrigation channels to our lands are not operating smoothly.”

Wayan Wana said the tax increase was inequitable and made no sense in the midst of efforts by the government to preserve the age-old subak system in Bali that was recently cited as a world heritage tradition worthy of protection by UNESCO.

He said he hoped that the land and property tax for property along the Jalan Ida Bagus Mantra remained stable and not be increased. Increasing taxes will only serve to encourage farmers to sell their lands to private interests for non-agricultural pursuits.

Wayan also complained that the government in order to widen the road connecting the capital of Denpasar with Ginayar had appropriated some of the farmer’s land.

He went on the describe that the annual property tax on his two-hectare parcel of land that once cost Rp. 1.5 million (US$156) now has a tax bill of Rp. 2.5 million (US$260).

ort sits on Bali made surf beach and comprises part of a massive “Sahid Kuta Lifestyle Resort” that has significantly contributed to the ongoing gentrification of the stretch of hotels, shopping areas and entertainment venues facing the beachside boulevard.

The hotel is located within the newly opened Beachwalk Complex that occupies a 5.2-hectare site

Owned by PT. Indonesian Paradise Island, the Sheraton in Bali is part of Beachwalk – a luxurious shopping and accommodation destination covering a 5.2 hectare site and home to over 200 retail outlets in an open-air complex inspired by Bali’s terraced rice fields.

“For 75 years, Sheraton has become a gathering place for our guests and locals alike around exciting destinations across the globe,” said Hoyt Harper, Global Brand Leader, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts. “Bali is a perfect fit for the Sheraton Brand, being an international holiday destination that is well known globally – Bali is one of the world’s gathering places.”

Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort marks Starwood’s fifth hotel on the Island of Gods. Currently, Starwood manages The St. Regis Bali Resort, W Retreat & Spa Bali – Seminyak, The Laguna, A Luxury Collection Resort and The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali. By 2014, Starwood will debut three new hotels in Bali, marking a total of eight hotels representing six of Starwood’s lifestyle hotel brands. .

“We are delighted to welcome our iconic Sheraton brand to Bali. The opening of Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort sets Starwood on track to become the hotel management company with the largest number of brands represented in Bali,’ said Chuck Abbott, Regional Vice President, Southeast Asia, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. “Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort together with the new development of Beachwalk offer guests an all-around experience – whether it is for business or leisure, for a family holiday or a honeymoon getaway.”

Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort features 203 guest rooms and suites ranging from 46 to 265 square meters, each fitted with Sheraton Sweet Sleeper® Bed and feature either a spacious private balcony with uninterrupted views of the Indian Ocean or the resort’s courtyard. Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort also features a two-story ocean-view Presidential Suite.

Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort features three dining venues – the all-day dining:

• Feast® with an open-kitchen, located alongside beachwalk patio overlooking the Kuta Beach.
• Bene - an Italian trattoria with ocean views.
• The Lounge that features a locally inspired cocktail menu in an open-air setting and ocean panoramas.

The Resort also features a fully equipped fitness center and a spa offering traditional pampering services.

With a total of over 1,600 square meters all located on one level, Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort offers 9 flexible event spaces - including a 700 square meters partitionable ballroom backed up with an underground secure parking facility suitable for 2,000 vehicles. Meeting spaces are equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including broadband or wireless high-speed Internet access. Travelers can stay connected with an exclusive connectivity hub, with complimentary Wi-Fi and personal computer stations.

In celebration of its opening, Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort is offering an ‘Experience Sheraton’ package. Starting from USD225++ per night, the package includes accommodation in a deluxe guestroom, breakfast for two, one-way airport transfer from or to Bali International Ngurah Rai Airport, daily resort credit of USD25 to indulge in various food and beverage offerings or spa treatments. Terms and conditions apply.

Friends of the National Parks Foundation (FNPF) will release several highly endangered Bali Starlings on December 20, 2012 on Nusa Lembongan island, an island located a short distance from Bali’s southern shore.

The release forms part of a continuing series of coordinated releases of the rare birds on Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan.

In November of 2011 the Governor of Bali released 10 of the birds following a 2006 release officiated over by the President of Indonesia and the First Lady, the Minister of Forestry, and the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources.

“The released birds will increase the genetic diversity of the wild population of Bali Starlings, and help create a viable population that can then be used to repopulate other locations in Bali,” explained FNPF director, Drh I Gede Nyoman Bayu Wirayudha.

“This is particularly important on Nusa Lembongan, where the wild population may not be able to fly back to Nusa Penida. It is crucial that a new bloodline is introduced to Lembongan, to boost the genetic quality of the birds. That’s the goal of our release of 4 to 6 birds on December 20,” explained Wiryaudha.

Continuing, he said, “It is our hope that both populations - Nusa Penida and Lembongan – will become reservoirs of high quality Bali Starlings for eventual re-introduction to mainland Bali, once the problem of illegal poaching can be overcome.”

In unique partnership with local villages, FNPF transformed the whole island of Nusa Penida into a bird sanctuary where endangered birds can be released to rebuild wild populations. The threat from poaching and bird traders has been eliminated because local people are obligated to protect the birds by traditional Balinese community regulations (awig awig / hukum adat).

Elsewhere in Indonesia, poachers continue to be the greatest threat to endangered birds.

To date, FNPF has successfully rehabilitated and released onto Nusa Penida a wide variety of birds including Bali Starlings, Lesser Sulphur Crested Cockatoos, Mitchell Lorikeets, Moustached Parakeets and Java Sparrows.

In return for this community support and protection of the rare and valuable birds, FNPF operates programs that enhance the economic and social wellbeing of the island’s residents, including:

• high school and university scholarships for poor families
• conversational English language training
• tree saplings for agro-forestry and reforestation
• student conservation field trips and competitions
• traditional Balinese dance lessons
• marketing support for the island’s unique ikat weavers
• promoting Nusa Penida as an eco-tourist destination and running a pilot project as model that local people can learn

More About the BALI STARLING (Leucopsar rothschildi)

The highly distinctive Bali Starling, also known as Bali Mynah or Jalak Bali, is one of the world’s most endangered birds. It is endemic to Bali and the island ‘s official mascot. The bird’s rarity and beauty has been the cause of their demise in the wild, with birds fetching over $1,000 on the illegal bird market.

Breeding Bali Starlings in captivity is relatively simple and there are hundreds of licensed Bali Starling breeders in Bali, Java and overseas. But the challenge to rebuild their numbers in the wild is the threat from poachers.

Over the last 25 years, hundreds of cage-bred Bali Starlings have been released into the West Bali National Park but there were less than 10 birds remaining in 2005. By comparison, FNPF released 74 Bali Starlings onto Nusa Penida in 2006 and 2011 where their population has grown to over 105 birds living and breeding freely in the wild.

“This is a distinctively Balinese approach to conservation … by Balinese, for Balinese. It demonstrates how Balinese conservationists can work in partnership with local Balinese communities to achieve successful outcomes,” said Dr. Bayu.

[Website Friends of the National Parks Foundation]

Hundreds of Korean-speaking guides staged a strike and demonstration on Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at the provincial Tourism Office in downtown Denpasar.

The strike was prompted by disputes over the fees paid to Korean-speaking tour guides, amounts the guides claim are less than that earned by construction workers in Bali.

As reported by Seputarbali.com, Ketut Sumadi, one of the Korean-speaking guides from an association representing 600 guides working at 31 travel agents said the guides were not prepared to return to work until an agreement was achieved on their future fees.

Sumadi said the past payment of fees to Korean speaking guides, many of whom are Balinese, has been very unfair. He claimed that travel agents promoting tourism to South Korea are under-selling Bali resulting in very low fees to tour guides.

He explained that the fee paid to handle South Korean tourists for a 4-5 day program is only Rp. 100,000 – Rp. 125,000 (US$10.40-US$13.00) while construction workers earn on the average Rp. 70,000 (US$7.30) per day. He claims that guides, who often work from 6:00 am until 11:00 pm should be paid twice the current fee.

The Korean-peaking guides are seeking Rp. 293,000 (US$30.50) per day for handling a group of 1-6 guests on a 3-day tour program.

The guides and their employers remain at a deadlock.

Prosecutors are apparently waiting for an opportune moment to apprehend Spiritual leader Anand Krishna and bring him to Jakarta to begin serving a 2.5-year sentence.

Radar Bali reports that State Prosecutors are in the process of preparing a third formal summons that, if unsuccessful, will lead to the forceful arrest of the pluralistic spiritual leader.

The chief prosecutor in Gianyar, Bali, Anita Asterida, told Radar Bali that her office was prepared to execute orders from Jakarta to arrest Anand Krishna who has taken refuge in his spiritual retreat - Pesraman Anand Ashram in Ubud. She said prosecutors were equally prepared to deal with any supporters of Krishna, who has vowed to resist until death efforts to take him into custody.

After being declared innocent by the Indonesian courts in a prolonged trial plagued by legal missteps and numerous anomalies, the Indonesian Supreme Court reopened the case and leveled the 2.5-year sentence. The sentence is widely criticized by legal experts who see the Supreme Courts decision as lacking judicial independence, a crude effort to silence a major force for religious tolerance and a pluralistic society, and specifically prohibited under Indonesian law that does not allow a defendant deemed innocent to have that decision overruled by a higher court.

The Gianyar prosecutor called on Anand Krishna’s supporter to be cooperative with her officer when they come to arrest their spiritual leader and avoid any actions that could be seen as anarchistic.

Related Articles

[A Struggle for Justice]

[The Strange Case of Anand Krishna]

Unhealthy competition between Event Organizers (EO) and Travel Agents in the execution of Bali-based meetings, incentives, conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) is angering those who head the Association of Indonesian Travel Agents in Bali (ASITA-Bali).

The chairman of ASITA-Bali, Ketut Ardana, insists that the management of MICE events is the exclusive purview of travel agents and tour operators. “Travel Agents already understand what must be done to serve the MICE market,” said Ardana in a telephone interview with Radar Bali.

He underlined that the Event Organizers must not take over the role of travel agents, adding: “In fact, it is the travel agents who must use the services of an EO to organize the flow of an event. It is not their place (Event Organizer’s) who must design the packages in an area in which they do not have special knowledge.”

Ardana said there were many ASITA members with great experiences in handling the MICE market.

Ardana called on consumers to exercise more discretion in their business dealings, ensuring they are always dealing with professionals. “I believe that the job of the Event Organizer is sufficient to organize the progress of a program. For matters related to MICE, such as accommodation, hotels and guides it is the travel agents role,” Ardana explained.

Using a “Training the Trainers” approach, the Bali Hotels Association (BHA) conducted courses November 20-23, 2012, providing information on the spread of HIV/AIDS, modes of infection, the rights the infected and counseling within the work environment.

All participating hotel committed to conducting additional awareness training and informational events in order to educate their respective staffs by utilizing their newly trained resource persons graduating from the BHA course. In time, it is hoped that the hotels will play a role in educating their surrounding communities, particularly the youth living in those settings.

Through April 2013, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ- German Society for International Cooperation), BHA and the Planned Parenthood Association (PKBI) will continue to work together to educate thousands of hospitality and tourism workers. While BHA provides a ready audience, infrastructure and organizational assistance, GIZ and PKBI contribute with trainers, training materials, and their organizational expertise.

Enthusiastically received by the first batch of trainees, results are being seen in additional training now underway at each participating hotel and the eagerness to share the facts on preventing HIV/AIDS with the community at large in Bali.

BHA is committed to implement a HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy in 2013 with the aim of ensuring HIV/AIDS positive individuals working at BHA hotels will not be the victims of discrimination.

After the successful launch in Bali, GIZ is preparing to start a similar initiative in Lombok, making use of the valuable experience gathered during its collaboration with BHA.

With 250 million inhabitants, the Republic of Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world and the country with the fastest growing HIV rates in Asia where an estimated 400.000 people live with HIV/AIDS

Recent reports estimate one percent of pregnant women in Bali are infected with HIV/AIDS. According to the AIDS Commission (KPA) in Denpasar, the number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Bali has increased by an alarmingly 24% during 2011 to 5.222 people, compared to 4.210 people in 2010.

[Bali Hotels Association Website] 

Gary Rosen has returned to Bali to head the soon-to-be-opened Mantra Nusa Dua Resort– the first Asian property of the Australia-based Mantra Group, located in the hills of Sawangan, Nusa Dua. The new property offers 172 guest rooms including 24 suites, a spa & wellness facility and extensive conference space.

Gary’s last Bali assignment was as the Executive Chef of the Conrad Bali Resort that ended in 2008 when he left to take the job of executive assistant manager food and beverage at the InterContinental in Tel Aviv. From Israel Rosen moved to London in February 2008 where he developed a number of restaurant and catering services.

After London, Rosen shifted once more  to the role of F&B Director at the Marco Polo Shensehn where he stayed until moving back to Bali in Nobember 2012 to assume the general manager’s role at the Matra Nusa Dua.

Mantra Nusa Dua

The 172-rooms at the Mantra Nusa Dua are contemporary in design boasting plush bedding with 300-thread count bed sheets, individually controlled air conditioning, flat screen LCD televisions with satellite channels, telephones, complimentary Wi-Fi, voicemail, private bar, coffee and tea making facilities and a personal safe.

Rosen’s well-known culinary expertise will be brought to bear on the Mantra Resorts food and beverage outlets that include:

• Rasa - an all-day dining restaurant offering coastal influenced menu with accents of Asian spices. The emphasis is on healthy cooking styles, perfectly grilled meats, poultry and a rich assortment of local seafood and fish. Rasa will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner from 7am to 11pm.
• ORCHID LOUNGE offers a casual yet elegant, al-fresco lounge for the enjoyment of a wide selection of tea and coffee, including afternoon tea, chilled drinks or light fare. Open from 10 am to late.
• GALLERY CAFE - Located on the ground floor, adjacent to the Chakra Spa & Wellness Centre, the Gallery Cafe offers gourmet coffees, fragrant fine-leaf teas, dcakes and pastries, healthy juices, and freshly prepared sandwiches. Open for light snacks and drinks from 10am to 6pm.
• CueBar - is an integrated sports bar concept offering a lively mix of dining, games and the excitement of sports viewing in a fun, high energy environment. The menu features comfort foods, along with a selection of beverages including draft beers. Nintendo Wii stations, foosball tables, pool tables, and dart games are available. Open from 11am to 1am,
• SPLASH - the resort’s poolside bar offering comfort food with an edge. The men features innovative sandwiches, upmarket Asian street snacks, crisp salads, and tropical fruits. Beverage selection includes soft drinks, fresh juices, tropical cocktails and ice-cold beers. Open from 8am to 11pm

Passionate about food, Rosen writes his own food blog at [www.culinarygypsy.com] 

Related Article

[Gary Rosen: In Praise of Slow Food]

Around 25 animal rights activists demonstrated in front of the office of Governor Pastika on Friday, December 7, 2012, urging the provincial government close businesses that use captive dolphins as attractions.

The protestors brought traditional papier mâché floats (ogoh-ohoh) made in the shapes of dolphins in order to symbolize their protests.

According to Radar Bali, the protestors issued a statement demanding dolphins be released from their cages.

Leading the protests were members of the Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN) – a group that maintains that no wild animal should be forced to live in captivity and works to end illegal wildlife trade in Indonesia.

Pramudya Harsani, a JAAN activist, said that there are several businesses in Bali that keep dolphins in captivity in order that they can be used as tourists attractions.

One of these companies, they said, is a hotel in Lovina. “We urge that this company be closed because in their cages the dolphins are denied food in order to make them more compliant to their trainers. This can result in the death of the dolphins.,” said Pramudya.

Pramudya said he hoped the governor of Bali would take firm steps to close such businesses. Adding, “Because many dolphins are tortured and many dolphins die in Indonesia as a result.”

“This is pure bisnis, if you want to study about the habitat of dolphins, that is best done in its habitat – the ocean. The dolphins should not be dragged to shore. What’s more, there’s no educational sign board explaining about these animals,” said Pramudya,quoted by Beritabali.com.

JAAN claims there are three businesses exploiting dolphins as attractions. One of these businesses is located in north Bali where the Bali Melka Dolphin Resort keeps a group of captive dolphins to swim with hotel guests who pay a surcharge for the privilege and for walk-in customers

“Why not build nature tourism attractions that will profit the fishermen? What’s happening represents neglect by the Bali government (of the dolphin’s situation). We ask governor Made Mangku Pastika to withdrawn permits allowing the exploitation of dolphins on land-based facilities justified by claims of education,” concluded Pramudya.

[JAAN –Jakarta Animal Aid Network Website]  
 

Arriving from Australia, the cruise ship MV Celebrity Cruise visited the Balinese port of Benoa on Wednesday, November 11, 2012.

According to the manager of the Benoa Port, Sugiyono, the visit by the ship indicates the strong interest in Bali as a cruise destination.

“Many tourist traveling on cruise ships are choosing voyages with destinations in Asia. One of these destinations is Bali. Although, unfortunately, Indonesia does not yet possess a cruise terminal suitable for large ships. Thus, the MV Celebrity Cruise vesse went on tol berth in Singapore,” explained Sugiyono, quoted by Radar Bali.

Through the end of 2012, according to Sugiyono, some 36 ships are targeted to visit Bali’s port of Benoa.

To date some 32 ships have visited Benoa with four more expected before year’s end. Work is underway to complete repairs on the Benoa berth to permit deeper draft and longer vessels to come alongside.

Benoa’s port has now become a turn-around port, where cruise programs can either commence or end. To operate efficiently as a turn-around port, Benoa has also been upgraded to handle check-in and checkout of cruise passengers. Moreover, Rp. 600 million (US$62,500) in funding has been allocated to pay for dredging of the port basin and improving berths to allow longer vessels to come alongside.

Faster processing at the port has been introduced to maximize the time ashore for one-day cruise visits; thereby also maximizing tourist spends during shopping excursions ashore.
 
[Cruise Ship Handling by Bali Discovery]

The Bali Police working in close cooperation with Interpol have apprehended Italian fugitive Antonio Messicati Vitali (40) at a private villa in Bali sought in connection with a homicide in Italy.

Quoted by the State News Agency Antara, the chief of sub-directorate III of the criminal division of the Bali police, AKP Pande Putu Sugiarta, said: “The suspect was involved in an assault that resulted in the death on the victim. He escaped to Bali to avoid capture by the police.”

The Italian, said to have organized crime affiliations, was arrested at 2:00 am on Friday, December 7, 2012 at the Villa Puri-Puri Kecil on Jalan Basangkasa in Legian.

Sugiarta said the arrest was based on a letter received from Interpol on December 4, 2012, alleging Vitali, originally from Palermo, Sicily, was involved in a mafia conspiracy that resulted in a homicide. That letter sought the assistance of the Bali police to arrest the man who had spent the last six months in Bali.

Col. Andrea Vitalone, from Rome Interpol and based in Thailand, confirmed that Vitali is facing 24 years in prison and is a well known mafia figure linked to extortion, narcotics, human trafficking and arms dealing.

The Indonesian Interpol officer in Jakarta, Iptu Yudhi Y. Saroja, said the Italian police were able to track Vitali to Bali by tracing his Internet protocol numbers via emails sent to his mother in Palmero.

Vitali’s final extradition must now be coordinated with the Indonesian Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, as no formal extradition treaty exists between Indonesia and Italy.

Indonesian police are now investigating Vitali’s activities in Bali, including looking into his visa status during his Bali stay.

In an effort to encourage Bali residents to use the Sarbagita Bus System and reduce traffic congestion in the southern island, the provincial government of Bali is planning to once again introduce free bus rides as a means to increase passenger numbers.

After a successful four-month “free ride” period introduced from August to November 2012 increased loads on the bus system, officials now want to repeat the offer to add more regular users.

Quoted by Radar Bali, the spokesman for the province of Bali, Ketut Teneng, said on Wednesday, December 5, 2012: “The free ride program will be recommended (to the legislature). This is a subsidized program.”

Teneng said that the provincial government would not lose money through offering another free-ride program, emphasizing that the main purpose of the Sarbagita system is not to achieve a profit, but to provide a public service.

The Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) has recorded US$800 million in new hotel investments in 2012, an increase of 229.2% over 20122 when US$243 million in new hotels were built.

The chairperson of PHRI, Wiryanti (Yanti) Sukamdani told Bisnis.com that the high rate of new investment underlines the currently bright prospect of the hotel business in Indonesia.

Budget and three star hotels, a trend expected to continue through 2013, have dominated investment in new hotels in 2012.

PHRI counts 13,000 hotels nationwide hosting 240,000 rooms. That number is expected to increase between 10-20% in 2013.

Yanti warns that her association is counseling caution in the future to avoid problems of oversupply in the hotel market. While she sees many areas of Indonesia as still in dire need of more hotel rooms, locations such as Jakarta and Bali are operating at capacity levels. For this reason, PHRI is urging the government to work together with their association in deciding whether or not to grant permits for new hotel projects. The organization of hotels and restaurants is also lobbying that all new accommodation projects become members of PHRI before actual construction begins.

The National Bureau of Statistics (BPS) recorded average hotel occupancy of 54.90% nationwide in October 2012, an increase from the 54.87% recorded in the same month one year before. The highest occupancy levels in October were recorded in Bali (65.80%), followed by Lampung, South Sumatra (65.80%) and Yogyakarta (62.43%).

When investing in real estate in Bali it is essential to make sure that all permits and licenses are in hand before signing on the dotted line or remitting any payment.

The resultant dangers of ignoring this simple common sense approach to investment is now being painfully underlined in the current situation of the unhappy purchasers of homes in the 180-unit Penaurungan Residence constructed on a three-hectare site in Mengwi.

Radar Bali reports that the regent of Badung is taking an intractable stance on the nearly completed project that has been built without the building and zoning permits that must be hand before construction or property sales commence.

A.A. Gede Agung has declared he will not issue permits for the project that violates zoning rules and infringes on “no-build green zones.”

A.A. Gede Raka Yuda, the spokesman for the Regency of Badung, restated the regent’s no-compromise position on Saturday, December 8, 2012. Yuda told the press: “The regent has already stated his commitment to preserve the wholeness of the green zone. The regent will not grant any permits, especially for a project that has been built in violation of zoning rules, green zones or areas preserved for agriculture.”

Defending the “no compromise stance” of the Regent, Yuda pointed to the fact that the Penaurungan Residence has failed to apply for permission since before they commenced construction up until the point where the project is now nearing completion. After reviewing the errant housing project, it appears that land used was once productive agricultural land located in a “no-build” green zone protected from development under law.
Because of this situation, it is impossible for the Regent to even consider granting a temporary permit.

A furthe and more absoluter bar to finding a solution to complete the Penaurungan Residence project is the 2009 Provincial Zoning Law (RTRWP) that places the Regent in legal jeopardy of a large fine and five years in prison if he to grants permits to any project in violation of new zoning law.

The Bali police are now involved in the case trying to determine what criminal laws may have been violated by the developers descion to erect an illegal development and then fraudulently offering the illegal units for sale to the public. To date, a director of PT Padha Bagia who is developing the project, a member of the Badung legislature thought to have tried to broker a solution to the projects illegality and the chairman of Real Estate Indonesia have all been questioned by police in connection with the case.

The Penaurungan Residence real estate development has also been the focus of protests from local residents at Banjar Blumbang, Mengwi who claim the project infringes on green zones, trespasses sacred areas surrounding religious sites and violates water-use rules in connection with a nearby lake.

The Penaurungan Residence project was built after earlier plans by the government to construct a new prison facility in the same location were vehemently opposed by local residents who cited zoning, religious and land-use rules.

Moreover, a recent elevation of Bali’s traditional subak irrigation system by UNESCO is providing a further support in efforts to halt the Penaurungan Residence project that stands on traditional subak agricultural lands.
 

In order to minimize the loss of life in the event of a tsunami, the communities of Tanjung Benoa have formed a cooperative agreement with local hotels.

Under the terms of the agreement, local residents living on the narrow isthmus of land can seek protection in the event of a tsunami on the upper floors of the multi-storied hotels and businesses dotting the strip of land.

According to NusaBali, a total of nine hotels and businesses have formally agreed to open their doors to local residents seeking “higher ground” once he tsunami evacuation alarm is sounded.

The agreement, first enacted in 2009, covers an area considered at high risk from a tsunami.

A successful “dress rehearsal” of evacuation methods using the upper floors of building was enacted on Friday, December 7, 2012, involving 400 people.

Among the areas deemed at risk to tsunami’s in Bali due to their high population density are Tanjung Benoa, Sanur, and Kuta. Officials, however, are quick to explain that many beach areas in Bali are at risk from a tsunami, but  say that they are iniitially most focused on exposed beach areas with the highest population densities.

A new road connecting Nusa Dua and the Bali Cliff is nearing realization as a road between the two points is being paved.

Direct access is, however, being held up by the acquisition of a one-hectare plot of land still in private hands for which a purchase price has yet to be agreed.

The road connecting the Nikko Bali Resort and Spa and Bali Cliff will be six kilometers long and have a width of 24-meters. Most of the length has already been paved with only one remaining stretch of road still under review.

Surya Suamba, chief of road and bridges for the regency of Badung, said he doubted the final stretch of road would be completed before the APEC Conference taking place in late 2013 because the cost of constructing the final piece of roadway is not listed in the 2013 development budget.

Negotiations for the final one-hectare parcel of land continue.

Indonesia’s Minister of Health, Dr. Nafsiah Mboi, visited the newly opened BIMC Hospital at Nusa Dua, Bali on Tuesday, December 4, 2012.

As reported by The Bali Post, accompanied by a number of her staff, the Minister was greeted by the management team of the Hospital and taken on a tour of its modern medical facility.

The BIMC Hospital was established in Bali 14 years ago with its first clinic located near the Simpang Siur intersection in Kuta. Later, a new hospital facility was opened a short distance from the original clinic in Kuta

This year the BIMC opened a second state-of-the-art hospital within the Nusa Dua Complex at the southern tip of Bali.

After viewing the Nusa Dua hospital, Dr. Mboi said, “I am both impressed and proud the see the modern facilities and the dedication of the team at the BIMC.”

Dr. Mboi, who is a pediatric specialist, spent time with BIMC’s management discussing future health planning in Indonesia and the role of medical tourism. Adding, “I hope and am certain that the BIMC Hospital will play an important role in medical tourism in Indonesia, especially in Bali, and we support them.”

Craig Beveridge, CEO of BIMC Hospital Group termed the visit of the Minister a great honor for the BIMC team and was enthusiastic over the Minister’s support of advancing health services in the Republic.
Beveridge said the Minister was very enthusiastic during her visit and pushed for Bali to move forward with its plans to development medical tourism.

Related Articles

[Medical Tourism Comes to Bali]

[Medical Tourism in Bali]

[Bali: In Sickness and in Health]
 

The regional government of Karangasem closed and sealed the doors of the Hotel Agung Resort on Pantai Batudawa in the village of Tulamben, North Bali on Wednesday, December 5, 2012.

The hotel, owned by a Czech citizen, Haspal Yoseph, was closed for operating without a license.

As reported by DenPost, the Hotel Agung Resort holds no operating license or even the basic building permit needed to erect the property. Nonetheless, the hotel has been in operation for the past two years.

A regional enforcement team led by Ketut Wage Saputra failed in its efforts to meet with the resort’s owner. Instead, they were received by a number of the hotel’s employees. The hotel’s manager, I Ketut Sukiasa could only be contacted by telephone by the enforcement team.

On the telephone, Sukiasa admitted that the hotel he manages lacks the needed permits and licenses, but insisted this situation was not intentional. He explained: “My boss is the second owner, the previous owner was Pak Suwela. Suwela promised to obtain the needed licenses, which he has failed to yet do.”

The regency’s enforcement team took the decision to close and seal the hotel, but gave the resort the opportunity to allow their last guest to check out before attaching the deal to the front gate, while, at the same time, forbidding the hotel from receiving any new guests.

Also, according to DenPost, at least one of the resort’s buildings stands too close to the high water mark, in violation of zoning rules on minimum setback.

Saputra said that while the regency welcomes investors, those investors must obey rules and regulations. He also thanked the public for supporting efforts to bring erring hotels into line, adding that the initial report of the hotel’s violations came directly from the public.

The First Indonesian Hotel Investment Conference will be held on Friday, February 1, 2013 at the Sheraton Kuta Resort.

To be opened by Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism and the Creative Economy, Mari Elka Pangestu, the full day conference will feature cutting edge reviews on the state of the Indonesian economy, an overview of hotel investments in Indonesia, trends and forecasts in the accommodation sector, insights on project funding and presentations by leaders in the hotel sector from across Indonesia and the region.

Panels discussions with question and answer formats will be further complemented by networking opportunities, including a lavish post conference cocktail reception affording panoramic views of the Indian Ocean.

Who Should Attend?

Banker, supplier, architects, hotel managers, hotel operators, owners, developers, lawyers and accountants eager to learn more about Indonesia’s hotel and accommodation sector.

Program Highlights

• Keynote address by HE Mari Elka Pangestu, Minister of Tourism and the Creative Economy.
• Welcome Address by Yanti Sukamdani, chairperson of the Indonesian Tourism Promotion Board (ITPB) and the Indonesian Hotel & Restaurant Association (PHRI).
• “Indonesia: The Trillion Dollar Economy. The Indonesian Investment Climate and the Role of the Government” by James Castle – Castle Asia. 
• “The State of the Hotel Industry – Figuratively Speaking by Jonas Ogren, Area Director STR Global

Panel Sessions

• Ask the experts about hotel investment in Indonesia
• Can the Indonesian infrastructure keep pace with national tourism growth?

Break Out Sessions

• Panel: A Sustainability Perspective
• Panel: Funding Hotel Investments
• Panel: Condotel and Shared Ownership
• Panel: Designing Mid and Low Tier Hotels
• Panel: Creating a National Hotel Brand
• The Challenges of Human Resources in the Changing Landscape of AFTA

Early bird registrations of US$350 are available until January 1, 2012.

US$350 registration rate for Bali Hotels Association (BHA) and Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) members.

Registrations after January 1, 2013 US$500

Registration covers:

• Welcome coffee break and two coffee breaks during the conference
• Attendance at all conference sessions
• Luncheon
• Post-conference sundowner cocktail and networking session

For more information [Email] 

[Indonesia Hotel Investment Conference Website]

Related Link

[Soaring Hotel Investment in Indonesia]