Participants of IMF-WB Annual Meeting Exceed Expectation

Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said the number of participants in the IMF-WB Annual Meeting is much larger than expected. (Fransiska Ninditya)

Jakarta, mina — The number of people registering to participate in the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are much larger than expected.

The number of would be participants already registered already reached 32,000 exceeding the government`s expectation of 19,000, Antara News reported, citing Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. .

“The number of participants to attend the meeting are 32,000 larger than expectation,” Luhut said on Thursday after heading the final preparatory meeting on IMF-WB annual meeting in Nusa Dua in Bali.

He said 12,031 persons registered online with the IMF-WB “Meeting Team Secretariat” (MTS) and 19,404 via the “Indonesia Planning Team” under the National Committee.

The number are expected to rise close to 32,000 persons based on the trend until 4 October 2018 and guests from the private sector, he said.

“The fantastic number, would make the 8-14 October, 2018 meeting the largest annual meeting ever of IMF-WB,” Luhut said.

Luhut said that the the mission of the Indonesian government is not playing only as a good host but to show that Indonesia is quite capable of managing the state amid global economic uncertainties.

“I am truly serious. This is not merely organizing a meeting, but to show the world that Indonesia could handle things well amid such economic condition,” he said.

Bali`s income up

Luhut said based on a study by the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas), the economy of Bali would rise 0.64 percentage point on assumption that there would be 19,000 people attending the IMF-WB meeting.

“That means a 6.54 percent growth to be recorded by Bali exceeding the national economic growth. That would create 32,700 new jobs,” he said.

The 19,000 participants would give an extra income of Rp1.5 trillion for Bali and the income would certainly be higher if the participants would exceed the expectation at 32,099.

Indonesia hopes that the IMF-WB annual meeting would also serve as a forum to promote the country`s tourism potentials. The government has prepared 33 tourist destinations including Labuan Bajo and Lombok, to be visited by the delegates after the annual meeting.

Labuan Bajo is well known as the main access to the Komodo islands west of Flores, the habitat of the ancient giant lizards which are found only on the Indonesian islands.

Lombok drew the world attention in August after it was repeatedly jolted by major earthquake damaging many of the public facilities including tourists facilities.

The final preparatory meeting on the IMF-WB annual meeting was attended by officials of related ministries and government agencies including the Finance, State Enterprises, Foreign , Law and Human right Ministries, and the military, as well as regional administration and leaders. (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Ageny (MINA)