DENPASAR ~ The government allocated Rp2.3 billion (US$249,500) to help fund the education of disabled people, a spokesman said.

Ida Bagus Made Parwata, from the Department of Education, said that the money would be used for funding operations in schools for the disabled. There are currently 16 schools of this nature in Bali, he said.

“Approximately Rp1.8 billion will be used for funding normal day-to-day operations. Additional funds will be given to purchase books and provide extracurricular activities,” Parwata said.

He said the government had spent more than Rp243 million awarding scholarships to 1,160 disabled people in Bali.

DENPASAR ~ According to data released by the Bali Industry and Trade Office, the export value of silver exports in 2007 totaled US$1,533,091.35, a 170.55-percent increase from 2006, a spokesman said.

The head of the Bali Silver Association, Nyoman Patra, said a number of factors boosted the increase in silver exports, including the celebrations of New Year and Christmas.

“We had to put in extra effort to handle the amount of orders during Christmas and New Year’s,” he said, adding that during Christmas last year, there was a 15-percent increase in orders.

He said that consumers now preferred silver to gold because gold had become too expensive.

Asked how he would maintain the high export level, Patra said that the association had scheduled a number of overseas promotional events, the first an exhibition in Arizona.

DENPASAR ~ In support of the Visit Indonesia Year 2008 program, the Balinese government has budgeted Rp2.5 billion (US$271,000) for the promotion of tourism, a spokesman said.

The chief of the Bali Tourism Board, I Gede Nurjaya, said that officers of his team had been preparing materials such as brochures, stickers and guidebooks to be distributed in Germany, England, Japan, China, India and Malaysia.

“I had first intended to promote Bali tourism in 10 countries, but the budget was limited. We had to narrow our scope down to only six countries,” Nurjaya said.

“Some materials are still in the process of being made, for instance, the Japanese-language editions of the brochures and guidebooks,” he said.

In addition to promoting the allure of peace and safety on the island in order to attract more tourists, the chief said he also hoped to improve the international image of Bali overall.

He said a lack of direct flights to Indonesia deterred tourism.

“Tourists still have to transit in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand,” he said.

Nirjaya said the promotional program would launch in Germany at the international event ITB; the team is set to leave in early March. From Germany, the team would travel to the other five countries and return to Bali in November, he said.

DENPASAR ~ Over 1,000 Bali tour guides participated in an intermediate intensive training course this past week in Denpasar.

The course was a joint initiative sponsored by the Indonesian Tourist Guide Association (HPI) of Bali and the Indonesian Hindu University, a spokesman said.

The Chief of the Bali Tourism Board, Gede Nurjaya, said earlier this week that in order to develop human resources on the island, the tourist industry needed guides who were more talented and better qualified.

“Bali’s government is currently focusing on improving tourist guide services for local and international visitors. We need good guides who can talk about everything that has to do with Bali,” he said.

Made Sukadana, the chief of HPI, supported Nurjaya’s statement. He said that every guide must obtain certificates of competency in their ability to accompany and handle visitors in Bali.

“There are 7,039 tourist guides in Bali right now. Only 4,786 of them have extended their licenses. So far 1,045 guides have taken part in the intensive course to obtain competency certifications,” he explained.

The head of the program’s committee, Professor Ida Bagus Gunadha, said that the intensive course takes 42 days.

“Because we expect many participants to take part in this program, we will be holding courses until June 9,” he said.

DENPASAR ~ The Chief of the Denpasar Trade and Industry Board, Wayan Gatra, said 58 businessmen are preparing for a trade exhibition called the Great Denpasar Sale, to be held in June.

Gatra said that the participants of the event were getting ready to promote their products, and that he hoped the exhibition would draw both local and international tourists and visitors.

“The members who are participating in the event are businessmen from supermarket associations, travel and transportation agents, property managers and craftspeople in Bali,” Gatra said.

The participants have been working on designing stickers, banners, brochures and other souvenirs for the event, Gatra said.

“We are still waiting for other participants from beyond Bali to join this event. This is a big event so we will hold it along the main road of the trade market on Jl. Gajah Mada in Denpasar,” he said.

TABANAN ~ After a closing ceremony of a short training course, 240 members of the Indonesian Blue-Collar Workers (TKI) are planning to embark to Europe in order to work in tourist sectors abroad, I Gede Nugura Rai Wijaya, from the Department of Transmigration and Labor in Tabanan, said.

Attendees of the ceremony included Peter Zinty, a delegate from Maersk Logistics, the director of the Asia Pacific World Cruise Center, IB Putu Astina, , as well as senior government officials.

“Recently, countries in Europe have developed a need for Indonesian workers, especially from Bali, because Balinese workers are known to have good working habits, and they are friendly and honest,” Zinty said.

Astina explained that he has collected workers from Makassar, Jakarta, Bandung and Balikpapan to participate in the program. He also said that he had already secured certificates and letters of recommendation from the Labor Ministry of the Czech Republic and h

“The Czech government will receive Indonesian workers. The workers will depart from Bali and will be accepted by various industries,” Astina added.

Wirajaya said that ideally the program would improve the laborers’ social statuses by giving them a way to break free from poor and jobless lives.

DENPASAR ~ After successfully keeping the United Nations Climate Change Conference secure in December, Bali Police are ready to cover the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, a second conference in which state parties will convene.

The conference will be held in Bali from January 25 to February 2.

Spokesman Antonios Reniban said that approximately 1,500 local police officers would be present to backup other officers, from the headquarters of Indonesian Police in Jakarta.

Security employed by the United Nations would also be working the international event to keep it secure, officials said.

“…police officers will operate 10-guard barriers, cars, two helicopters, A-2 patrol ships and guard dogs to secure the event,” a spokesman said.