Sail Tomini Preparations Should Meet Target: Minister

Palu, C Sulawesi (Antara Bali) - Central Sulawesi Governor Longki Djanggola urged his subordinates to constantly evaluate the preparations for Sail Tomini to ensure that the event will meet the target as planned earlier.

"I would like to remind that we have 57 days now left before the D-Day of the Sail Tomini event. I call on all the stakeholders to conduct evaluations on how far the preparations have been made, so that the target would not be missed," Governor Djanggola stated here on Wednesday.

He noted that the Sail Tomoni event aims to accelerate development in the coastal areas of Central Sulawesi. This event is not being organized for personal gains.

"Therefore, I appeal to all the officials to make efforts for the success of the event in Central Sulawesi," he emphasized.

Central Sulawesi has been selected to host Sail Indonesia 2015 and is called "Sail Tomini."

The peak event of Sail Tomini will be held on September 19, at Kayubura Beach, Pelawa Baru village, Central Sulawesi Sub-district, Parigi Moutong District.

President Joko Widodo along with several ministers, high-level state officials, and ambassadors are expected to attend the event.

According to the governor, Sail Tomini will have a significant impact on the development of Central Sulawesi and will help to promote its tourism sector and industrialization as well as to accelerate economic growth.

Sail Tomini will also attract the disbursement of budget in various sectors, particularly infrastructure for the construction of roads, bridges, and public facilities, which will ultimately improve the people's welfare.

Deputy Head of Parigi Muntong District Abdrun Ngaai remarked that the preparations for Tomini Sail in his region were running well, although the actual construction of several projects still needs to be accelerated.

The physical preparations of the venue of Sail Tomini's peak event, for instance, still needs to be expedited, as only 70 percent of the work on the site has been completed.

"There is still pending work that needs to be finished. But, we are optimistic that the work would all be completed on time," Ngaai added.

Sail Tomini 2015 in Parigi Moutong will kick off with the Boalemo Festival in Gorontalo Province on September 10, 2015.

Activities in Parigi related to Sail Tomini include regional promotion and a cultural week, Bhaskara Jaya social services, fishermen's ship race, and 10-K and 5-K marathon races. (WDY)