Minister Says Indonesia Ready to Host IMF-World Bank Meeting

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Panjaitan said Indonesia is ready to host the 2018 IMF-World Bank Annual Meeting. This meeting is touted to be the biggest international event ever held in Nusa Dua, Bali.

"This will be the biggest we have ever created," Luhut said during a press conference at the World Bank headquarters in Washington DC, Thursday, October 12.

The press conference was also attended by Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, Bank Indonesia (BI) Governor Agus Martowardojo, and film director Livi Zheng.

Read: Jakarta Could Replace Bali as Host of IMF-World Bank Meetings

As the official appointed by President Joko Widodo to coordinate the organizing committee of this event, Luhut said everything is prepared. Hotels and inns, as well as other supporting facilities, are booked, and security measures are set to go.  

"The only thing we cannot predict is whether Mount Agung will erupt or not. Not just us, nobody can be sure of anything like this."

Mount Agung is an active volcano located in Karangasem, Bali. In the past month, it has shown an increase in volcanic activities, with its status raised to "alert". Residents within a 12-kilometer radius of the crater had been evacuated.

There are concerns that if the volcano erupts, the IMF-World Bank meeting's agenda will be affected.

Y. TOMI ARYANTO (Washington DC)