Infrastructure For APEC Nearing Completion

Denpasar (Antara Bali) - A toll road, an underpass and expansion of Ngurah Rai International Airport projects prepared to welcome the APEC summit later this year are nearing completion, a local councilor said.

"The three projects are expected to be completed next June. We were assured of the work progress after having a meeting with the project leaders and officials of relevant institutions on Friday," Gusti Made Suryanta Putra, chairman of Commission III of the Local Legislative Assembly (DPRD), said here on Saturday.

He said the toll road which connected the airport with Nusa Dua, Badung District, was now 83 percent completed. By June, the toll road is expected to undergo a test before being officially opened to the public.

The underpass which is build under the Dewa Ruci (Kuta) crossroad has also been 87.5 percent completed.

The 38-meter tunnel from the north to the south now remains to be completed with wall ornaments with Bali style architecture. The other remaining work is the installation of its water pump and tunnel lighting system.

In the meantime, Suryanta Putra said, the work on the airport expansion has been 61.03 percent completed. "It`s a little bit late from the schedule. It is late by about 1.89 percent," he added.

He hoped that all infrastructures built in support of Bali in hosting the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) would be completed soon. "If all completed, we will remain to do other preparations," he added.

"We are convinced the construction of the three projects would have been completed by June 2013," the councilor said.

Indonesia will host APEC summit in October 2013 in Nusa Dua Bali for the second time. In 1994, Indonesia hosted the APEC Summit in Bogor, West Java, where APEC leaders adopted the Bogor goals.

The goals involved free and open trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region by 2010 for industrialized economies, and by 2020 for developing economies.

In order to achieve the Bogor goals, APEC focused on three areas: trade and investment liberalization, business facilitation, and economic and technical cooperation.

In 2013, the APEC meeting will focus on the expansion of trade and investment, as well as on structural reforms.

As part of APEC`s efforts to achieve sustainable growth with equity in the region, the meeting will also focus on financial inclusion, food security and health. It will also discuss ways to improve the global competitiveness of small businesses (SMEs).

Established in 1989, APEC is an economic cooperation forum for 21 Pacific Rim countries: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam. (*/T007)