PUPR Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said the tourism sector would be the fastest to recover from the economic decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"To enhance our efforts in tourism recovery, the PUPR ministry has renovated the residents' houses in Mandalika and converted the houses into homestay units for tourists. This would allow residents to enjoy revenues from the influx of tourists to the region," Minister Hadimuljono noted in his written statement received in Jakarta on Wednesday.
According to the minister, the housing renovation programme covers 915 housing units. They comprise 300 units in Central Lombok District and 98 units in North Lombok District that are renovated and converted into tourism accommodations for the WSBK championships, as well as 517 housing units along entry points to the Mandalika tourism area.
The Ministry's West Nusa Tenggara I Housing Provision Unit Section 2 head, Dudi Mustofa, noted that the program encouraged residents to involve themselves in the progress in renovation, right from conceiving the technical plan to participating in the progress in daily construction work.
Related news: WSBK riders, crews arrive in Indonesia
The total budget allocated for the program reached Rp62 billion (around US$4.340 million), with Rp18 billion (around US$1.260 million) channelled for the workers' wages and Rp44 billion (around US$3.080 million) diverted for the procurement of construction materials, he noted.
"The renovation cost was capped at Rp115 million (around US$8,050) for each house. Some houses received the maximum budget amount, while other houses received only Rp90 million (around US$6,300), proportional to the renovation requirements. We also encourage homeowners to procure other needs on their own," Mustofa stated.
Residents' houses converted into homestay units were constructed in a room spanning 12 square metres, each provided with a high-quality bathroom of international standards, the section head noted.
"We also renovate the houses with a touch of local culture, so that each home exhibits the characteristics of a traditional house," he stated.
Apart from enhancing the housing quality within the Mandalika Super-Priority Tourism Destination area, the renovated houses would provide an accommodation alternative for tourists visiting Mandalika to watch the World Superbike Championship on November 19-21 and MotoGP championship next year, Mustofa stated.
Related news: 2021 Mandalika WSBK to spark Indonesia tourism revival: Uno
Translator: Aji Cakti, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
