Plan To Build Yacht Marina In Lombok Restricted By Regulation

Lombok Barat, W Nusa Tenggara (Antara NTB) - Plan to build a marina for yachts in Gili Gede, regency of Lombok Barat, West Nusa Tenggara, has been restricted by a presidential regulation (Perpres).

Perpres No.105 of 2015 allows tourist boats to enter Indonesian territory only through a number of gates not including West Nusa Tenggara, Director of PT Marina Del Ray H Abubakar Abdullah said here on Monday.

PT Marina Del Ray is a foreign company planning to build a marina in the coastal village of Gili Gede Indah, sub-district of Sekotong in Lombok Barat.

Abubakar said an Australian investor that owns PT Marina Del Ray that operates in Lombok, wanted to build the marina with an investment of Rp1 trillion.

The project will include a resort facilities over a six hectare plot of land in that village, he said.

In the first phase, the company and other investors would invest Rp300 billion to build infrastructure including hydro electric plant and clean water distillation plant, he said.

Hundreds of families in that village would for the first time enjoy electrification and clean water, he said.

He said PT Marina Del Ray already secured various licenses from the Lombok Barat district and West Nusa Tenggara provincial administrations.

The Transport Ministry has also issued a decision No. KP 453 of 2016 determining the villager of Gili Gede Indah, as a location of special terminal for water tourist destination to be developed by PT Marina Del Ray.

"All necessary licenses have been secured , but we could not yet start building the project because of the Perpres," Abubakar said.

He said he hoped President Joko Widodo would issue a decision to include Lombok as a gate for foreign tourist boats.

PT Marina Del Ray would coordinate with the West Nusa Tenggara provincial administration and the district administration of Lombok Barat to discuss the possibility of submitting a proposal to the central government to review the Perpres No 105/2015 on foreign tourist boat visits to Indonesia, he said.

He said the West Nusa Tenggara regional administration needs to strongly ask for the review of the regulation as the regions especially Lombok and Sumbawa have grown fast as a major tourist destination.

He said the hundreds of foreign tourists using yachts have visited the village of Gili Gede Indah in the past two years despite bureaucratic restrictions .

"Investors are waiting for news if the Perpres would be reviewed . If the government gives the go ahead we would immediately start with ground breaking," Abubakar said. (*)