Australian investors interested in building retirement village in Bali

Brisbane (ANTARA News) - Some Australian investors are interested in doing business in Indonesia`s popular island resort of Bali where they can build an international hospital, a retirement village for Australian pensioners, and a luxurious cruiser pier, an Indonesian diplomat has said.

Some Australian investors hoped that they needed some 25 hectares of land on which to realize their project, Minister Counselor at the Indonesian Consulate General Jahar Gustom said here Sunday.

According to Gultom, the investors of the retirement village were still negotiating their plan with the Karangasem district administration.

"Many Australian investors are waiting for an opportunity to do business in Bali, but they had problems in obtaining land," he said.

The Australian entrepreneurs` hope grew after the Indonesian Consulate General held an annual Indonesian festival starting in 2005, he said. Bilateral trade between Indonesia and the Australian

State of Victoria also increased following the annual Indonesian trade exhibitions.

The bilateral trade value was recorded at 1.47 billion Australian dollars in 2006, an increase from 1.22 billion Australian dollars in 2005.

The Indonesian Consulate General in Melbourne is scheduled to hold a similar festival on November 9-11, focusing on Sulawesi potentials. The exhibitions which were held in 2005 and 2006 focused on Bali and Sumatra potentials respectively.

Provinces outside Sulawesi like Yogyakarta, Bali, West Sumatra, North Sumatra, West Java, DKI Jakarta, Central Kalimantan, Gorontalo, West Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, and Central Sulawesi will also participated in the trade festival.

Bank Indonesia, state banks like BRI and BNI as well as flag-carrier Garuda Indonesia will support the exhibition.