Suspicions of gross misadministration of a public project and corruption have resurfaced surrounding the Tanah Ampo International Cruise Portproject in Karangasem, East Bali. After consultations between Commission III and the Ministry of Transportation it was revealed that plans to lengthen the current 150-meter pier to accommodate large cruise ships is now not possible. The Secretary of Commission III told, after meeting with National port officials, that the pier cannot be extended. The water depth at the end of the current pier is 17-meters, making it impossible to extend the pier. He explained that the current pier can only receive a ship with a maximal length of 120-meters. Meanwhile, the average length of cruise ships visiting Bali is at least 300-meters long. He also revealed that the Central Government plans to construct a 100-meter-long breakwater at Tanah Ampo in 2017 to shelter a pier that, in all likliehood, will remain unsuitable for the cruise ship market. Plagued with bad planning from its initial construction in 2012, the Tanah Ampo International Cruise Port has consumed more than Rp. 100 billion in public funds. The National Audit Board is now faced with finding some means to use or recover the Rp. 100 billion-plus already spent on the Tanah Ampo Project. A failure to do this would mean a legal case could be made for the misuse of public funds.
