Bali is facing a population boom. The
latest data from the provincial agency showed that the number of
residents on the island has reached 4.22 million, an increase from 3.89
million two years ago. “Currently, the island’s population has reached
4.22 million. This is a remarkable increase. I’m sure that it is not
only due to the birth rate, but also urbanization. Many people move to
Bali because of its promising economy,” Bali Governor Made Mangku
Pastika told the press on Friday. Previous data from the Central
Statistics Agency showed that in the ten-year period 2000-2010, Bali
recorded its highest population growth of the last 50 years, growing
2.15 percent from 3.15 million to 3.89 million.
The growth rate during the previous four
decades had never exceeded 2 percent. Between 1961 and 1971, the
island’s population increased by 1.75 percent, while between 1971 and
1980 it increased by 1.69 percent. During the period 1980-1990, growth
slowed to 1.18 percent, and during the next decade, 1990 to 2000, it
grew 1.26 percent. Over five decades, population growth has reached
118.5 percent, going from only 1.78 million people in 1961 to 3.89
million people in 2010. In the latest decade, growth peaked, while the
slowest growth was between 1980 and 1990.
With the island’s total land area of
5,636.66 square kilometers, or only 0.29 percent of the total area of
Indonesia, population density in Bali is now 673 people per square
kilometer, while the national average is only 124 people per square
kilometer. Pastika said that the rising population had become a
challenge for the island, and that the local people would have to
improve to be able to compete with those from outside Bali. He stated
that the provincial administration continued to implement programs to
develop the island’s economy, as well as improving people’s livelihoods
and reducing poverty. “Our economy keeps growing.
At least this indicates that we are
improving, although we agree that we need to further minimize the
economic gap between the island’s areas,” he added. Next year, the
administration will continue to improve its performance in eradicating
poverty and improving people’s economic strength through larger budget
allocations for its programs. This move is expected to further
accelerate the island’s economy. On Friday, the legislative council
ratified the provincial budget for next year, which amounts to Rp 4.2
trillion (US$435 million), an increase from last year’s Rp 3.4 trillion.
“A larger budget will surely have a positive impact on the people’s
welfare if we are able to distribute it well,” Pastika said.
He said the provincial administration
promised to optimize the budget allocation. One of the administration’s
leading programs that will continue to be improved is the integrated
agricultural program (Simantri). Under this program, the administration
will establish 100 farming groups, each of which will be supported by a
grant of cattle and other facilities worth Rp 200 million. “After
several years of running, this program seems to be successful. It has
made people more interested in agriculture because it can improve their
livelihood. I really hope that Bali will have at least 1,000 Simantri
groups and all farmers will have prosperous lives,” Pastika said.
source : bali daily
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