Indonesia to go on ‘all out assault’ against Bali’s trash problem ahead of G20 summit

File photo of Suwung landfill. Photo: Facebook/Adiyaksa Putra
File photo of Suwung landfill. Photo: Facebook/Adiyaksa Putra

Bali is about to carry out some spring cleaning (or whatever the tropical equivalent is) as the island is set to welcome some esteemed guests at the G20 summit.

Indonesia is keen to impress in its presidency of the intergovernmental forum this year, which will culminate in a summit in Bali in October/November 2022. Acknowledging a trash problem on the island of the gods, the central government said the time has come to clean up Bali with nine months to go until the summit.

“We have to go on an all out assault because we don’t have much time left. This is also an opportunity for Bali to become clean,” Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan said during a virtual briefing attended by Bali officials today.

The senior minister cited Denpasar as an example of poor waste management, as approximately 900 tons of trash from the Bali capital end up at the Suwung landfill, which is quickly filling up, each day. The landfill is set for closure in the near future.

“For this reason, we will support the construction of three integrated waste management facilities and nine recycling centers in Denpasar,” Luhut said.

The Public Works and Housing (PUPR) Ministry said construction of the integrated waste management facilities, which would be able to handle 1,024 tons of waste per day, could begin soon and be complete by September 2022. The project is expected to cost IDR105 billion (US$7.3 million), and the central government is hoping for a grant from the World Bank for its funding.

Indonesia is aiming to push for more cooperation among G20 members with world economic recovery in mind, by adopting “Recover Together, Recover Stronger” as the theme during its presidency.



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