Though reports broke last week of plans to build a lucrative floating airport in North Bali, the island’s governor is saying that he does not know if this construction project will definitely happen.
Before journalists in the press room at the governor’s office yesterday, Made Mangku Pastika explained that to date, that the furthest development is that two parties, PT Bali Mandiri and an investor from Canada have made presentations to the provincial government.
“To this day, there is no definite yes. I have already submitted to the Ministry of Transportation,” the governor said, as quoted by Tribun Bali.
He added that based on results from the Canadian’s study for construction of the North Bali Airport in Buleleng, the cost wouldn’t be peanuts, at Rp 30 trillion.
“If the Canadian is considering Rp 30 trillion (as the building cost), how can we find the money unless they want to give charity,” Pastika explained.
That’s funny because a Jakarta Post article previously cited Pastika as saying that the deep-pocketed investor was planning to bear 80 percent of the cost, making it significantly affordable (though still expensive) for the government to build this new airport.
Pastika added yesterday that private analysts say the airport would need to have a minimum of 10 million passengers visiting per year, over the course of 20 years, to hit a break-even point.
Photo: Illustration
