Gili Mas Becomes Lombok New Destination

LOMBOK BARAT, NusaBali

Tourism in Lombok improved after the earthquake struck last August. Now, the gili group which is the mainstay of tourism has increased with the development of new tourism on Gili Mas. West Lombok Regent Fauzan Khalid believed that Gili Mas Terminal, which is being built by PT Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo) III, will become a new tourist destination in Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara.

"I project this container port to be the largest port in eastern Indonesia," Fauzan Khalid said, while visiting the construction site of Gili Mas Terminal, in Teluk Waru Hamlet, Labuan Tereng Lembar Village, Monday (3/12).

West Lombok Regency Government, he said, had also made a road repair design from Sekotong to Buwun Mas as a supporter of the existence of Gili Mas Terminal which can connect with the Mandalika Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Central Lombok Regency.

"The width of the road we plan is up to eight meters to make it easier to connect the Gili Mas Port with the Mandalika SEZ. But, after Buwun Mas goes to the Mandalika SEZ, it is not our area. So, it must communicate with the provincial side," he said.

Fauzan also asked Pelindo III not only to pay attention to the main development in the port area. Pelindo also had to build a public street lighting facility along one kilometer before the port and one kilometer after the port. "Pelindo must implement a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program that can touch the needs of the surrounding community," Fauzan added.

Pelindo III Representative, Danuwarsa, who received a group of West Lombok Regent, said that the construction of Gili Mas Terminal was a unit package with Lembar Harbor managed by PT ASDP.

The port with an area of 50 hectares was planned to be 440 meters long and 26 meters wide with sea depth reaching 13 meters. The development fund had a budget of Rp1.3 trillion.

Land preparation, according to him, had reached 100 percent. From the result of temporary monitoring until this time, the construction process in the location had been going well. Many port plots had been installed and built. "Right now, for the design and construction phase, 61 percent have been done," Danuwarsa said.

He said that the existence of Gili Mas Terminal would not only strengthen the regional and national economy, but also would have other effects in the tourism sector. With the potential for tourism development in the southern region, the port would not only be a means of loading and unloading goods and container storage centers, but also would become a new tourist destination.

Dozens of small cruise ships could dock and be supported by other facilities such as machine shop. "The construction of the marina can accommodate more than sixty yachts. This will strengthen access to tourism, even with the facilities to be built, could become new destinations," Danuwarsa continued.

He mentioned many facilities that could become new destinations such as amphitheater, sea side walk, hotel, yacht marina, marina supporting facilities, hotels, and shopping centers. "Especially, if access to the Mandalika SEZ through the southern route can be widened, the access will be more open because it reduces the distance from and to the port," he closed. *ant *ph