TEMPO.CO, Denpasar – World Bank President Jim Yong Kim on the second day of his visit to Bali highlighted waste issues.
"It's a very fundamental problem, people say that the environment is important for tourism, but it is more than that," he said during a visit to Suwung Kauh Mangrove Forest, Denpasar, Friday, July 6.
Kim said enviroonmental issues, including waste issues, were also a component of the economy. Speaking in front of the media, Kim briefly showed an eco-friendly bioplastic bag.
"This is one example, this plastic [bag] is made of materials that can decompose, cassava," he said.
While visiting the Suwung Kauh Mangrove Forest area, Kim was accompanied by several ministers, viz. Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Sri Mulyani, Basuki Hadimuljono, and Eko Putro Sandjojo. Jim Yong Kim and the ministers observed the mangrove forests that were contaminated with lots of waste.
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"Handling waste is related to health, quality of human resources. Serious attention, not only talking about infrastructure, economy," said Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.
According to Avani Eco founder Kevin Kumala, he has exported bioplastic products to 20 countries, including Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Madagascar, Rwanda, and Ghana. "Indonesia's absorption is not as high as those of other countries," he said.
The Avani Eco is a science-based start-up company that produces bags of bioplastic made of cassava. Kevin explains the current use of Avani Eco bioplastics still tends to be small.
"Indonesia is probably only 30 percent," he said.
Jim Yong Kim's visit to Bali was aimed at inspecting the preparations for the IMF-World Bank Annual Meeting slated for October 9-14. The official meeting, meanwhile, will take place from October 12-14. A total of 189 countries will discuss the world's economy during the meeting.
BRAM SETIAWAN
