The Bali Senator has urged the central government to keep the plan to reopen the border for international visitors and the Work From Bali (WFB) program on track.
The Head of Commission III of Bali Senator, AA Ngurah Adhi Ardhana said that despite the surging cases of new Covid-19 variants in several areas in Java such as Jakarta, Kudus and Madura, the plan to revive Bali tourism sector must be continued as planned. “There’s no relation between the surging Covid-19 cases outside Bali with the plan to reopen our border for international visitors, so the program must continue.” Ardhana said on Sunday (20/6).
However, Ardhana admitted that the situation might increase the reluctance of travelers to visit the island, but he’s still optimistic that Bali is still safe as long as all the prevention protocols are strictly implemented in all the tourist spots such as hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions. “If we can keep the island from being a red zone of Covid-19 transmissions, I think we should continue the plan to reopen the border on track as it would bring hope for Bali people to end this crisis.” Ardhana added.
He also claims that the Work From Bali (WFB) Program could be one of the solutions for people in Jakarta to avoid the Covid-19 transmissions that is currently surging in Jakarta by working remotely from the island through proper screening upon their arrival. He also predicted that Bali’s economy would fall into a deeper crisis if the central government decides to postpone the travel corridor program. “Most of Bali residents are currently in survival mode, and it could break down at any second if the border remains closed. So I urge the government to keep the program on track with strict prevention protocols in place.” Ardhana concluded.
