Koster: There Are 33,086 Uninhabitable House Units In Bali, Most In Karangasem

Bali Governor Wayan Koster received a working visit from Deputy Minister of Housing and Settlement Area Fahri Hamzah in Denpasar.

This meeting discussed the handling of uninhabitable houses (RTLH), slum settlements, as well as the design of the Bali urban and rural areas to be in line with the national development vision towards Indonesia Gold 2045.

Governor Koster reported that Bali's post-large flood conditions in Bali were due to the highest rainfall in 70 years triggered by Rossby's equatorial storm.

The central, provincial and district and city governments have distributed compensation of IDR 15 million each per affected family head.

Meanwhile, Badung Market traders who lost their wares received compensation of Rp 3.4 billion according to data on turnover from market managers.

Assistance to flood victims in Tabanan and Jembrana has also been distributed worth more than IDR 1 billion.

"All damaged houses have been handled, roads and bridges are being repaired, and in the future we will audit four large rivers for reforestation and rearrangement. Disaster mitigation must be stronger," said Koster, Friday, October 3.

Regarding housing, Governor Koster revealed, based on data there are 33,086 uninhabitable housing units on the island of Bali, the most in Karangasem Regency.

The government targets that all RTLHs will be completed in 2029 through collaboration with the state budget, provincial budget, and district and city budgets.

"The state budget will help more than 12 thousand housing units, while the province distributes Special Financial Assistance (BKK) to districts and cities, especially six regions with weak fiscalities. We also cooperate with CSR and ASN mutual cooperation," explained Koster.

Governor Koster also said that the peculiarities of the island of Bali, which still has strong traditional villages, economic levels above the national average, the lowest poverty rate in Indonesia, the lowest unemployment, and the fifth-ranked Human Development Index (HDI) nationally. The life expectancy rate of the Balinese people is also the highest in Indonesia, while the prevalence of stunting is the lowest.

However, he highlighted the fiscal gap between regions, land conversions that reach 700 hectares per year, congestion problems, and garbage that increase with the high flow of tourists.

"Tourism contributes 66 percent of Bali's economy, but is very sensitive to disasters and security issues. Therefore, we are designing economic transformation so that Bali can survive with or without tourism," he said.

Governor Koster also conveyed that the concept of the direction of development of Bali for 100 years would be a long-term guideline. One of them regulates controlling land conversion, controlling the number of foreign tourists, and consolidating land in densely populated areas.

"If the housing allocation can be increased in 2026, we are optimistic that the RTLH in Karangasem, Gianyar, Jembrana, and Bangli can be accelerated. Bali must be Indonesia's best face," he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Housing and Settlement Areas Fahri Hamzah called Bali the heart of Indonesia's national growth as well as the world's storefront. According to him, housing and settlements in Bali must reflect international standards.

"The tourism industry is the most distributive and democratic because it directly spreads prosperity to the community. Bali with 6.5 million foreign tourists is the face of Indonesia. So the design of housing and settlements here must be integrated, modern, but still respect local culture," said Fahri.

He said the ministry is targeting the renovation of 400,000 housing units throughout Indonesia and pushing up to 1 million units.

For Bali, the focus is directed on removing RTLH starting next year, including structuring a 12 km slum area around rivers and coasts.

"We must make the coastal areas of Bali luminous, such as Maldives, become a modern, hygienic and tourist-friendly fishing village," he said.

Fahri also emphasized the importance of housing in urban areas so that they no longer eat fertile land.

"Bali has cultural rules regarding the height limit of the building, we respect that. However, we can adapt the concept of a two-three-story house as a subsidized housing for the community," he said.