GILI INDAH’S valuable marine tourism sector has received a welcome boost with the donation of diving and safety equipment worth Rp111 million through a corporate community empowerment program.The Gili Indah community includes the highly popular islands of Trawangan, Meno and Air, in North Lombok regency.
Indonesia Eximbank, which previously has sponsored dive instructor training courses in the area, in late May presented 10 sets of diving equipment to the Lombok Association of Dive Instructors (ADIL) and 250 life jackets to boat operators who cross regularly from the three islands to the Lombok mainland..
Eximbank Indonesia managing director Suharsono said the bank aimed to empower the community and to support West Nusa Tenggara’s (NTB’s) campaign to bring one million tourists to the province in 2012.
The diving equipment, valued at Rp78 million, will be used to educate instructors in Lombok’s key diving areas including Gili Indah. “The equipment given to ADIL is expected to enhance marine tourism, by producing additional dive instructors, and therefore to improve local people’s income,” said Suharsono.
The 250 life jackets would increase safety, especially for people working in tourism on the islands who regularly crossed to and from the mainland.
Suharsono explained that Indonesia Eximbank had implemented a partnership program under which soft loans were provided for local dive instructors to increase their expertise and gain dive master accreditation through PADI – the US-based Professional Association of Diving Instructors.
“This will reduce the dominance of foreign diving instructors in Lombok’s marine tourism areas and further boost local earnings,” he said.
“In the future, we will help tourism schools in North Lombok regency to train dive masters. We ask the government or individual schools to prepare and submit proposals. The sooner we have the proposals, the sooner we can release the aid.”
North Lombok’s Transportation, Communications and Information secretary Putradi thanked Eximbank for supporting North Lombok tourism and especially for supporting the “zero accident” target for Gili Indah.
North Lombok Community Relations and Protocol head Ahmad Sujanadi said Eximbank’s challenge for tourism schools to submit proposals must be met immediately so the schools could receive the valuable educational assistance on offer.
“As a newly formed region, North Lombok regency is in a development phase and is much in need of support, guidance and assistance, especially for tourism,” he said. “Eximbank’s assistance is a breath of fresh air which will boost tourism and bring benefits to the community.”
ADIL chairman Mamik Slamet Subagio and head of boat-operator’s group Koperasi Karya Bahari, Abdullah, both thanked Eximbank and hoped the bank’s assistance would broaden from the marine industries to other areas in need of improvement of human resources.
Indonesia Eximbank is a government-owned specialist financial institution which operates under Law No. 2 of 2009 on Indonesia’s export financing agency. “This law became the basis of national export development through national export financing provided in the form of financing, guarantees, insurance and consulting services,” said Suharsono.
source:enchanting-lomboksumbawa.com
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