BALI - BTB's Lambasted for a Lack of Financial Transparency and Poor Communication with Bali Travel Stakeholders.

Balidiscovery.com, (10/30/2006)

A series of articles in the Indonesian language Bali Post have cast the Bali Tourism Board (BTB) in a negative light, suggesting the private sector promotion initiative group is badly managed, unresponsive and guilty of malfeasance in how it is handling the Rp. 67 billion (approximately US$7.3 million) in funds allocated for the recovery of Bali's tourism industry,

The BTB's Supervisory Board (Badan Pengawas) charged with internal supervision of the organization's finances has reportedly sent two letters to the BTB outlining complaints of a lack of transparency in how fund are handled.

The BTB's Supervisory Board - drawn from the leadership of BTB's stakeholder organization and comprised of I Gusti Yudhara, Hadi Taryoto, John Ketut Pantja, I Gusti Agung Prana and Cok Putra are reported by the Bali Post are calling for a complete accounting of Bali tourism recovery funds from the BTB Chairman Bagus Sudibya.

Local press coverage has called into question Rp. 1 billion in funds (approximately US$106,400) supposedly allocated for the Bali Tourism Festival. Meanwhile, the Society of Indonesian Professional Conference Organizers (SIPCO), who claim they were appointed to run the Bali Tourism Festival, say thay have received no funds which have reportedly been diverted to a company owned by the BTB Chairman.

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