Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto wants to develop an international airport in northern Bali to boost the local economy. However, parts of the proposed site overlap with protected forest areas.

Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo confirmed that the project has undergone comprehensive studies involving multiple sectors and considerations.

“The studies have been conducted, and now it awaits President Prabowo’s decision,” Dody said on Monday.

He said that the airport project involves other ministries and agencies, such as the Transportation Ministry and the Forestry Ministry.

“The Forestry Ministry is involved because part of the planned site falls within a conservation forest,” Dody said. 

The Coordinating Ministry for Regional Infrastructure and Development is set to deliver a summary of the project plans to President Prabowo. Chief Infrastructure Minister Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono said that his ministry is conducting an in-depth feasibility study to ensure a strong foundation for the project’s planning.

"We will continue to review the feasibility study extensively because good intentions must be backed by thorough planning,” Agus said.

“If all preparations are solid and we have considered technical, political, and socio-cultural factors, I am optimistic this can be realized,” he added.

Earlier, President Prabowo, who also serves as the Gerindra Party chairman, reaffirmed his commitment to building an airport in North Bali to boost the local economy.

“I am committed to making Bali potentially the ‘New Singapore’ or the ‘New Hong Kong’ of the region. We must work hard and think big. Indonesia must be prosperous and fair, so that prosperity is enjoyed by all Indonesians, not just a few,” he said during a regional election campaign in Denpasar earlier this month.

Later, a Gerindra spokesman clarified that Prabowo’s vision is not to transform Bali into a "new Singapore" but to incorporate modern and advanced airport designs like those seen in Singapore and Hong Kong for North Bali's new airport.