The people of Buleleng district are urging the government to immediately build North Bali International Airport, which they want to be located on the coast of Kubutambahan District, Buleleng, Bali.
This request was conveyed by the residents of Buleleng through a number of religious and traditional leaders in Bali when they met with the General Manager of PT BIBU, the company that initiated the construction of North Bali International Airport, Panji Sakti AA Ngurah Ugrasena in Kubutambahan, Monday 13th June 2022.
Jero Pasek, who is one of the influential religious figures in the North Bali area, and several other religious figures questioned the continuation of the plan to build North Bali International Airport.
According to him, residents in North Bali have long known about the plan to build North Bali International Airport in Buleleng Regency. In fact, in December 2020, he said that he had sent a letter to President Joko Widodo, which stated that residents from the Kubutambahan Traditional Village supported the construction of the airport.
“We have waited too long, when will the airport be built?” said Jero Pasek in a statement.
I Nyoman Westha, who also serves as the Intermediary for the Indigenous Village Council of Buleleng Regency, believes that the presence of North Bali International Airport will balance development in Bali, which so far has been mostly in the southern region.
“This airport development will develop tourism, small and medium-sized enterprises, and agriculture in the North Bali region. This also closes the gap in the welfare of the people of North Bali who are left behind from South Bali,” he said.
Meanwhile, the General Manager of PT BIBU, AA Ngurah Ugrasena, asked religious and traditional leaders to urge the people of Buleleng to remain patient. He said his team is optimistic that soon the central government will decide on the location through the Transportation Ministry as PT BIBU has fulfilled all administrative requirements, feasibility studies, and business plans.
“Please be patient, we are still waiting for the North Bali International Airport Location Determination from the authorities in the central government,” he said.