Bali Better Prepared for Globalization Indonesia's Minister of Home Affairs Says Bali Best Equipped for Free Trade

(10/15/2001) Indonesia's Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Hari Sabarno, cited Bali as the best from among all the nation's provinces to confront the issues of free trade.

At a meeting on Saturday (13 October) with regional, metropolitan, security, and village officials in Bali - the Minister said Bali's preparedness for free-trade in the post-AFTA period starting in 2003 was reflected in the island's rejection of "sweeping" against foreign nationals threatened in other areas of the nation. According to the Minister, Bali's continuing stability and safety has a very beneficial effect within the context of Bali's international relationships.

Welcome to Bali

Located just 8 degrees south of the Equator, the island enjoys a tropical climate with two seasons a year ( wet and dry), and has an average temperature of 28 degrees Celcius The small island of Bali stretching  140 kilometres from east to west and 80 kilometers from north to south , lies east of Java, at the centre of the Indonesian archipelago.  Bali is a province within the republic of Indonesia.  Its provincial capital city is Denpasar.  Its road network reflects the islands mountainous nature.  The tallest of the string of volcanic mountains running from east to west is Mount Agung that has last erupted in 1963. Bali was a prime rice-producer until land became scarce in the mid 1900s.  Since then, the government has encouraged crop diversification, predominantly into commodity crops such as coffe, vanilla, cloves, tobacco, spices, and citrus fruits. In the daily life on this colourful island, community matters are gratly prised.  Despite sporadic internal disturbances associated with political changes in Indonesia, Bali remains a place where social harmony is of tremendous importanced and visitors are regarded as welcomed guests.  Even with the arrival of countless tourists over the years the Balinese have kept their strong spiritual roots and culture very much alive. The majority of Bali’s three million people live in tight village communities with substantially extended families.  The main tourist areas are Kuta and Seminyak.  Kuta became a major attraction during the tourist boom of the 1970s because of its white sandy beaches, great surf, and dramatic sunsets.  Those in search of quieter regions tend to head to the more demure resorts of Sanur and Candidasa on the East  coast, or Lovina in the Noorth.  Nusa Dua on the southernmost peninsula of the island houses many popular five star resorts.  The central village of Ubud, in the hilly region of Gianyar, has blossomed as a tourist destination and is now considered to be the artistic and cultural centre of Bali.