Speaking to reporters, Gde Wirajaya Wisna, Secretary of the DPD Hanura Party for Bali Province, outlined his plans for making Buleleng Regency Bali’s new capital.

Though the subject has recently come up again, this thought has been on peoples’ minds for a while. The most crucial governmental and commercial infrastructure on the island is located in Denpasar City, the capital of Bali Province.

Wisna told reporters, “Buleleng is very relevant to become the capital of Bali as when it was believed to be the capital of the Lesser Sundas during the reign of President Soekarno”. The island of Singaraja serves as the Buleleng Regency’s capital, however doing so would require a significant investment.

He added that he thought it made sense to concentrate more on development in the island’s most populous and largest geographically. He clarified Buleleng is “also supported by agriculture, fertile plantations… Buleleng can also create an international airport, given the vast amount of land available”.

Although President Joko Widodo put plans for the North Bali Airport on hold earlier this year because construction was moving too slowly, it is clear that many people in Bali still want to see the project completed. Although designs for the North Bali Airport are still being developed, they have been removed from the list of national strategic projects, and there is no sign that construction will begin anytime soon because the land has not yet been secured.

Wisna continued, “All this time, there have always been discussions about the dichotomy of development balance between South Bali and North Bali. Now, with the [idea to] relocate the capital to Buleleng, economic growth or equity in development will no longer be disputed”. He pointed out that a significant portion of Bali’s daily life is already supported by industry in Buleleng, including the Wisnu Pioneer Airport, the Celukan Bawang Port, and a Fishing Port in Sangsit.

Wisna replied, “It can be done gradually,” in response to a question on how the changeover would actually take place. He made comparisons to other nations where the political and economic hubs are located in several cities.

He said, “Yes, it will be similar to IKN [State Capital]. The capital is in East Kalimantan, while the center of activity is in Jakarta. It’s the same as Australia, the capital city of [Canberra], but the center of activity is in Melbourne. US, the capital is in Washington DC, while the economic center is in New York”.

The post Bali Leaders Consider A New Capital For The Island appeared first on Traveling Lifestyle.

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By: Maria Valencia
Title: Bali Leaders Consider A New Capital For The Island
Sourced From: www.travelinglifestyle.net/bali-leaders-consider-a-new-capital-for-the-island/
Published Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2022 21:42:51 +0000

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