TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinator of Balinese’ Peoples Forum (ForBali) Wayan Gendo Suardana urged state-owned port operator PT Pelindo III to immediately publish the environmental impact assessment (Amdal) on the Benoa Bay reclamation project.

Wayan Gendo argues that Pelindo lacked transparency regarding the significant document, and has closed-off the data’s access from environmentalists and the people of Bali in general.

“PT Pelindo III has been extremely closed regarding the information, they acted the same toward the Environmental Agency and The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi),” says Wayan in a text message to Tempo on Sunday, August 25.

Walhi had actually filed a lawsuit against Pelindo III to Bali Province’s information commission on the project’s Amdal report, which should be able to be publically attained. The verdict saw the SOE lose the case and had been required to expose the information within a maximum of 14 days prior to the verdict.

However, up until July, Pelindo III has yet announced its Amdal report on the expansion of the reclamation of the Benoa Port, which its construction has been temporarily halted after a formal request was made by Bali Province Governor Wayan Koster.

Vice President Corporate Communication PT Pelindo III, Wilis Aji, claims that the entire permit for the Benoa Bay reclamation was obtained by the company under scrutiny of a locally-formed official watchdog known as the TP4D Kajati Bali.

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA