Bali is unlike any other area. It has no mining or oil and gas resources. Therefore, we must develop a public transportation system with a business-to-business model.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Investment/head of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Bahlil Lahadalia has expressed his ministry's readiness to support and expedite the licensing process for the Bali Urban Rail project to increase national tourism income.

"The Investment Ministry will support the licensing issue. Whoever wins (the tender), we will speed up the licensing," he assured in a statement released by his office on Thursday.

According to him, Bali Urban Rail is a project that aims to increase the country's foreign exchange since the region geographically does not have natural resources that can be utilized as downstream investment subjects.

Bali has become the world's favorite tourist destination. Thus, improvement in public infrastructure is a solution to improving the welfare of the surrounding community through tourism, he explained.

"Bali is unlike any other area. It has no mining or oil and gas resources. Therefore, we must develop a public transportation system with a business-to-business model," Lahadalia said.

Besides accelerating the project's licensing process, his ministry is also ready to provide tax holiday incentives as well as a master list of import duty exemptions for companies involved in the project.

However, companies should be honest in reporting their profits because the government is ready to investigate any indications of fraud, he added.

The Bali Urban Rail project has been outlined in the Bali Governor Regulation Number 9 of 2024 concerning the assignment to PT Penjaminan Kredit Daerah Provinsi Bali to collaborate in developing, financing, and implementing a train-based public transportation system.

The development of Bali's public transportation system is expected to serve as a new milestone in the development of transportation infrastructure in the region.

As per the Ministry of Investment's records, investment realization in Bali reached Rp12.97 trillion (US$804 million) in the first quarter of 2024. Meanwhile, during the first quarter of 2019–2024, the hotel and restaurant sector accounted for the highest investment realization of Rp29.63 trillion.

It was followed by the housing, industrial areas, and offices sector (Rp19.74 trillion), other services (Rp10.66 trillion), and transportation sector (Rp6.72 trillion).

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Translator: Ahmad Muzdaffar F, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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