bali governor urges central government to to keep the border reopening and work from bali program on track

The Bali Senator has encouraged the central government to continue with the proposal to reopen the border to foreign visitors and the Work From Bali (WFB) initiative.

AA Ngurah Adhi Ardhana, the Head of Commission III of Bali Senator, stated that despite the increasing occurrences of new Covid-19 variations in various regions of Java such as Jakarta, Kudus, and Madura, the strategy to revitalise Bali's tourist industry must be carried out as planned. “There is no link between the increase of Covid-19 incidences outside of Bali and our goal to opening our border to overseas visitors, therefore the initiative must continue.” Ardhana stated this on Sunday (20/6).

However, Ardhana acknowledged that the scenario may raise tourists' hesitation to visit the island, but he remains hopeful that Bali is still secure as long as all preventative measures are properly enforced in all tourist areas such as hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions. “If we can prevent the island from becoming a red zone for Covid-19 transmissions, I believe we should maintain the proposal to restore the border on track, as it would give the people of Bali hope for an end to this crisis.” Ardhana explained.

He also says that the Work From Bali (WFB) Program might be one of the solutions for individuals in Jakarta to prevent the Covid-19 transmissions that are now on the rise in Jakarta by working remotely from the island and undergoing thorough screening upon arrival. He also projected that if the central government chose to postpone the transport corridor initiative, Bali's economy will suffer much more. “Most Bali people are presently in survival mode, which may collapse at any time if the border stays blocked. As a result, I encourage the government to keep the initiative on track by instituting stringent prevention protocols.” Ardhana concluded