CORRUPTION
Some
of the TOP Hotels in Bali
Bali's
most famous and crowded resort is Kuta beach, a six-kilometre
sweep of golden sand, with plenty of accommodation,
shops and nightlife. Nearby Sanur is much quieter, but
most backpackers prefer the beaches of peaceful east-coast
Candi Dasa and traveller-oriented Lovina on the north
coast. The island's other major destination is the cultural
centre of Ubud , a still charming but undeniably commercialized
overgrown village, where traditional dances are staged
every night of the week and the streets are full of
arts-and-crafts galleries.
Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa : The Nusa Dua
Beach Hotel & Spa is a luxury property strategically
located only 15 kilometers away from the... Nusa Dua
Aston Bali Resort & Spa : The Aston
Bali Resort and Spa is a luxury hotel located on the
waterfront facing golden sandy beaches... Tanjung Benoa
Sanur Paradise Plaza Hotel : Sanur
Paradise Plaza Hotel is situated in the coastal village
of Sanur, an ideal location from which to explore...
Sanur
Sanur Paradise Plaza Suites : The Sanur
Paradise Plaza Suites is located in Sanur Village just
two kilometers from the Sanur Paradise Plaza Hotel....Grand
Bali Beach Hotel also is a nice hotel in Sanur.
Swiss Belhotel Bali Aga : The Swiss
Belhotel Bali Aga is a deluxe property strategically
located only 20 kilometers northeast from the Ngurah
Rai... Nusa Dua
Grand Hyatt Bali Hotels located in
Nusa Dua and The Oberoi Bali located
in Seminyak, Maya Ubud located in Ubud,
The Alilia Ubud, Chedi, Hard
Rock Hotel Bali located in Kuta beach, Melia
Bali located in Nusa Dua and Padma
Bali located in Kuta
Not
only does corruption exist in Indonesia, but it's a
complex art; the perfection of rottenness. It is this
rot that is eating away at the foundations of the nation's
economy. You can be philosophical about the problem
and argue that corruption is found in every country
in the world, and that it's purely a western concept.
But in Indonesia it permeates every level of government,
from the lowliest post office clerk right up to the
highest government echelons. Even the President's wife's
business activities are diverse and far-reaching. Using
Chinese middlemen who handle most of the money, Mrs.
Tien Suharto is rumoured to be involved in everything
from flour mills, to cement plants and land speculation.
For years she has been nicknamed Madame Tien Per Cent,
though recently because of inflation she has become
known as Madame Fifty-Fifty. There are further charges
that other members of Suharto's family have used their
well placed connection with 'Pak Harto' to gain profits,
i.e. his brother was recently awarded a multi-million
dollar clove importing deal. Corruption in part stems
from the traditional Asian attitude of paying deference
and presenting gifts to your superiors. Low salaries
are another cause of corruption, as civil servants feel
compelled to look for other sources of income to buttress
their official salaries. A man of standing in the community
must maintain an appearance of affluence - clothes,
a car, comfortable living quarters, a ritual feast every
so often. Furthermore he has weighty responsibilities
on his Rp20,000-30,000 per month salary; to support
relatives, send his kids to schools, etc. He must accept
and seek bribes. Thus, Indonesia is a land where oil-king
generals earn US$100 a month, then blow US$50,000 on
a daughter's wedding. You can buy the captaincy of a
ship (Rp500,000), or to send off a letter extra-fast
at the post office (Rp100 extra). You must even pay
the teacher in order that your child graduate from the
4th to the 5th grade. To get your child in to a government
high school, the only channel by which he or she may
enter a university, it'll cost Rp55,000 in Surabaya,
Rp35,000 in Central Java, and as high as Rp75,000 in
Jakarta for the privilege. The right amount to the right
person at the right time is like putting oil on the
big unwieldly machine. The government's 1,2003000% pay
increases which took effect in April 1977 were aimed
at cutting down corruption and to narrow the gap between
high and low income groups. Before April, the highest
basic public salaries were 25 times the pay of the most
junior civil servants. In April the salary of the lowest
paid civil servants, about Rp4000 a month, soared to
Rp120,000. About a million civil servants, armed forces
personnel and pensioners benefited under the new salary
scheme.
Nusa
Lembongan is situated 12 miles south east of Bali. It
is one hour traveling time by boat from Benoa Harbour.
This pear shaped island is around 4km long and 2km wide.
It is surrounded by a beautiful fringing reef, which
hosts a myriad of marine life, The waters are renowned
for their abundance of life and great surf breaks. The
reef has been declared a marine park by the Indonesian
authorities. Not only does the reef support its own
Eco-system, but it supports most of the villagers on
the island as well. The local people farm seaweed. This
seaweed is cultivated, harvested then exported all over
the world for use in cosmetics, food stabilizers and
medicines. Other sources of income include traditional
wooden boat building, farming peanuts, sweet potato,
and fishing.Village life is very slow and enchanting.
Very few cars and motorbikes are seen on the roads.
The people are steeped in tradition, and one could imagine
Bali being like this island, thirty years ago.Although
the island is small there are many things to do. Fishing,
diving, surfing, mangrove exploring, discovering natural
fresh water springs, underground cave house exploring,
cycling around the island. A visit to the bat caves
on a nearby island, or a picnic at dream beach. Try
catching mud cabs in the mangrove area at the back of
the island. There is something for every one at Nusa
Lembongan.
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