Keeping Better Company in Bali

(3/12/2011)

Bali's governor Made Mangku Pastika has declared that Bali must become more selective in receiving investors in the future, accepting only those who demonstrate a shared concern for the island's environment.

Speaking to the press on March 8, 2011, and quoted in Beritabali.com, the governor said his real hope is that the investors in Bali would be Balinese who truly understand the environmental problems of Bali. Said Pastika: "I hope that Bali will produce new investors who are Balinese. People who know Bali and have lived a long time in Bali. Those with lots of money must not necessarily come from outside, what's important is that they are able to create new employment opportunities through their investments."

The governor added that he also hoped that Bali's current investors would not exploit Bali, but also contribute to improving the local environment. The governor said this was essential given the fact that Bali is only a small island with limited carrying capacity. The governor also sadly noted that at the present time Bali is losing 1,000 hectares of agricultural each year, diverted to non-agricultural uses.