by Abu Hanifah
JAKARTA, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia is preparing facilities and making access improvements on the famed resort island of Bali to host the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB) annual meeting in October.
Among the destinations prioritized by the government for the international event was Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara province that exclusively is habitat of Jurassic animal of Komodo Dragon with incredible natural scenery.
To speed up the development of new facilities in Labuan Bajo, Indonesian President Joko Widodo has issued a decree that legalized the establishment of special authorized body (BOP) to carry out projects in the destination some 745 km east of Bali.
With the decree, Indonesia is determent to make Labuan Bajo as a world-class destination.
"The policy to enhance development status of Labuan Bajo was part of government fundamental concerns. This area would see a very bright future," Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said.
The presidential decree made projects in Labuan Bajo a high priority, along with the ones in other destinations comprised of Lake Toba, Borobudur Temple and Mandalika.
The government has set those big four destinations, besides Bali, to welcome IMF-WB annual meeting participants.
Minister Arief said that government has set a "quick wins" program to speed up tourism-related development projects in Labuan Bajo, such as roads, bridge, mooring buoys to preserve coral reefs, diving spots, food centers and waste management.
"Environmental cleanliness was part of our main tasks to ensure comfort of international guests. We want Labuan Bajo free from any kind of garbage. Efforts for the locals to ensure cleanliness in their neighborhood would be intensified," Arief said.
Airport facility projects were also submitted in the quick wins program, covering extension of runway, expansion of taxiway and apron for the parking planes as well as terminals for passengers, he said.
Innovation in the Labuan Bajo airport was designed to enable Labuan Bajo receive more planes and international visitors.
The project would be synchronized with similar projects in Bali and Jakarta airports which now were intensified by the government to welcome more international tourists.
Besides that, the government also mulled seaport improvement projects in Labuan Bajo aimed at expanding cargo traffic for commercial and tourism purposes, he added.
Meanwhile, in Central Java province's prominent destination of Borobudur Temple, the administrator has built a yoga and meditation center.
"Borobudur Temple is an aspiring symbol for peace and harmony in the world. This is a place to find peace of mind. It is an inspiring place to unite all walk of life in the world albeit their different backgrounds," said Ricky Siahaan, administrator of the world's largest Buddhist temple sanctioned by UNESCO.
The IMF-WB annual meeting was expected to attract more than 15,000 participants from 189 countries and regions.
