Construction Of North Bali Airport Against Megawati, Ministry Of Transportation Selects Development Of Ngurah Rai Capacity

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) has opened its voice regarding the plan to build North Bali Airport.

The airport construction is no longer included in the national strategic program (PSN), so the Ministry of Transportation chooses to develop Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport.

This was revealed by the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Transportation Adita Irawati to reporters at the DPR RI complex, Wednesday, January 18.

"We see better integrating everything and developing all existing infrastructure compared to building a new airport for now," said Adita.

Adita explained that actually the plan to build North Bali Airport was actually used to support the tourism industry on the Island of the Gods.

"When it comes to new airports in Bali, it actually supports tourism. When it comes to tourism in Bali, actually we are not only airports. We also build toll road crossing ports and so on," he said.

Currently, said Adita, the Ministry of Transportation is focusing on developing a number of infrastructures that already exist on the island of Bali, such as increasing passenger transport capacity at Ngurah Rai Airport, compared to building a new airport.

"We see that the current airport (port) of Ngurah Rai can still be increased. So this year it will be increased threefold or around 35 million passenger capacity per year," he said.

As previously reported, the 5th President Megawati Soekarnoputri told about her rejection of the plan to build North Bali International Airport located in Buleleng Regency, Bali.

The general chairman of the PDI-P assessed that the airport construction was not strategic and instead spent the budget.

When it was rebuilt in Buleleng. I said my big family was there. I wanted to build an airport, angry with me. I called Mr. Koster (Governor of Bali) it was good, I said, just to hang out with tourism, that's not the case," Megawati said while giving a briefing during a visit to the Sanur Special Economic Zone (SEZ), Monday, January 16.

Megawati's refusal is said to have reached the ears of President Jokowi. Finally, the plan to build North Bali airport was dropped from a national strategic project.

"Finally, Mr. Jokowi heard it, didn't you (hear) where it came from. I told Pram (Pramono), Pram really helps this on behalf of the Balinese people. I said just don't think about yourself. Bali island is saumprat, you know. The only population is how much, then only investors want to come here, "he said.