IMF-World Bank Meeting in Bali; Sri Mulyani Hopes Mt. Agung Calms

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati hopes that Bali`s volcano Mount Agung`s volcanic activity will not interfere with the 2018 International Monetary Fund-World Bank (IMF-WB) Annual Meeting. The IMF-WB event is scheduled to be held for seven days in Nusa Dua in October.

Sri said the government has no other option other than Bali as the main location for the event as decided by the committee in Washington DC, United States.

"Hopefully Mount Agung does not erupt. As of yesterday, its activities seemed to have decreased," she said in Jakarta, Thursday, October 19.

The IMF-World Bank Annual Meeting will see the attendance of finance ministers and central bank governors of 189 countries. There are 2,300 meetings sessions with the IMF and the World Bank scheduled. Meanwhile, a meeting of financial institutions leaders will be conducted outside the official forum.

The government said that there will be some US$115 million worth of money circulation during the event, including hotel bookings and shopping expenditures by the 15,000 participants.

For the IMF-WB Annual Meeting, the organizing committee plans to budget more than Rp800 billion. Of this amount, Rp300 billion will be used to purchase computers, chairs and office supplies for the event, Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said.

"After the event is over, the computers and chairs will be donated to schools in smaller districts," Luhut said.

ROSSENO AJI NUGROHO