Bali's Economy Predicted to Grow 5.1 PCT in Q2

Denpasar (Antara Bali) - The economic growth of Bali province in the second quarter of 2010 is expected to reach 5.1 percent which is higher than the 4.4 percent in the same period in 2009, a bank official said.

The economic growth at a positive range of the Indonesian tourist resort province is expected to be generated by the tourism sector, agriculture and services, head of Bank Indonesia (BI) for Bali, Jeffrey Kairupan, said here on Thursday.

He said that the banking performance in that period was also good where banks would be able to increase their assets and public savings with inflationary pressures at estimated 5.7 percent.

The tourism condition of Bali took advantage of the global economic crisis which had begun to improve in advanced countries.

Political crisis in neighboring country was also a blessing for Bali's tourism where tourists who had planned a holiday in that country switched their destination to Indonesia.

In the January - May 2010 period, almost one million foreign tourists visited Bali, or an increase of about 12.02 percent compared with the same period in 2009.(*)