Head of Asosiasi Pertekstilan Indonesia (API) – Indonesian Textile Association – of Bali Province, Anak Agung Ngurah Mahendra stated that one of the industry threatened by the trade agreement between China-ASEAN is textile industry.

Experts warned the administration Tuesday to stop allocating money to tourism-related infrastructure projects. They cited the sector’s inability to promote long-term economic growth and its “cannibalization” of other important sectors.  In a seminar on tourism and agriculture at the Art Center in Denpasar, experts told the Bali government to begin pushing programs that would promote [...]

Both Tempo Interactive and the Jakarta Post quote Indonesian hotel and restaurant business people as calling on the government to urgently reduce the 300% luxury tax now being imposed on liquor. Calling for at least a 50% reduction in the current tax tariff, Carla Parengkuan, Executive Director of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI), [...]

Kompas national daily reports that 1,196 business or around 60 percent of 1,996 companies operating in Bali are using sub-terrain water sources or surface water without holding required permits and licenses. The majority of the offending companies, according to the report, are in the hotel and restaurant sector.

Stock markets around the globe have lost trillions in value. Credit lines have dried up threatening the very life’s blood of daily commerce around the world. Graying populations watch fearfully as their pension plans evaporate and the asset value of their homes plummet. Unemployment climbs as factories, banks and manufacturing enterprises close in Asia, Europe [...]

Local economists call for Bali to become less economically dependent on tourism. Bali needs to develop productive sectors of its economy outside of tourism in order to prepare for an increasing uncertain world situation in the future. A failure to meet this challenge or a delay in developing Bali’s local economy may have the undesired [...]

It is painfully apparent that something is seriously wrong with the way Bali’s administrators issue licenses and permits for new hotel and villa projects. Beyond the poor enforcement of existing rules and regulations on green belts, setbacks from rivers and waterfronts, and open-space ratios; the pay-as-you-go laissez-faire approach to granting permits for new projects is [...]

Bipan Kapur heads the team while Syaiful Imron control finances at Bali’s Westin and Bali International Convention Center. Bipan Kapur Heads The Westin and BICC Bipan Kapur has been appointed General Manager of the 350-room The Westin Nusa Dua and the adjoining Bali International Convention Center (BICC). Commenting on his recent appointment, Bipan said: “I [...]

Bank Indonesia signals a deepening crisis for Bali exporters. Bali Post reports that the Island’s tourism economy did well during Q1 of 2008 attracting 446,553 foreign visitors, an improvement of 24.48% over the same quarter the previous year. However, while Bali’s tourism business is increasingly buoyant, exports from the island are down. According to a [...]

The new ‘Bank of Banks’ targets to help 45 million escape poverty. The Oregonian reports that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has provided US$19.4 million in funding towards the US$33 million purchase of an ailing Bali bank by the Portland-based Mercy Corps.A nonprofit foundation, Mercy Corps will acquire Sri Partha Banks and its operating [...]