Bali Hotels Association Ends 2013 on a Positive Note

Bali Hotels Association Ends 2013 on a Positive Note

Bali, Monday 23 December 2013

- Bali Hotels Association (BHA) celebrated the end of its yearly calendar of inspiring social activities with an early morning Fun Walk. More than 400 people enthusiastically participated in the walk, which took place at Peninsula Island inside Nusa Dua’s renowned BTDC complex. It was held in conjunction with the closing ceremony of BHA’s annual Sports Tournament to strengthen relations between all hotel members. 

Many exciting prizes were presented during the event from a washing machine to hotel vouchers and airlines tickets to Bandung and Yogjakarta. It was generously sponsored by Garuda Indonesia, BTDC, Jongrang Printing and Garda Printing

Earlier in the month, BHA hosted its 6thBlood Drive for the year at HARRIS Kuta Beach on the 6^th December 2013. This initiative was led by Virginie Tutin Sandstrom under the banner of the association’s Community Service Program. Over 400 bags of blood have been collected in this year alone for patients in need at Sanglah Hospital and other local emergency centers. 

This event was hosted as part of a regular meet and greet program for the scholars as well as to support worthwhile conservation projects. BHA believes that it is essential to educate the young generation, especially our scholars about the importance of a sustained environment. 

Organizations such as One Billion Indonesian Trees, Bali Clean and Green and Critical Land Restoration are all working in various ways to reduce the impact of global warming and replenish the island particularly in the Kintamani area of East Bali. 

“Bali Hotel Associations is extremely proud of all that has been achieved this year through its various programs. This is all thanks to our hardworking Board of Directors and the supporting teams from member hotels,” commented Alessandro Migliore, Chairman of the Bali Hotels Association

The 13th WTO summit, Nusa dua Bali

Nusa Dua, Bali. December 3 - 7, 2013 

A deal to boost global trade has been approved by the World Trade Organization's 159 member economies for the first time in nearly two decades.

WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo shed tears during the summit's closing ceremony Saturday as he thanked host nation Indonesia and his wife, saying "for the first time in history, the WTO has finally delivered" on large scale negotiations.

 

It was the first decision on global commerce reached by the WTO since its establishment in 1995 and will shape the international trading regime. Most importantly, it will revive the development mandate that the WTO ministers agreed during their meeting in Doha, Qatar, in 2001 — to open more markets and opportunities for developing and least-developed countries.

      For Indonesia, the agreement gives a massive boost to the country’s foreign policy approach, famous for its “thousand friends, zero enemy” slogan. Before and during the meeting, Indonesian officials said that their role as the meeting chair would be as honest brokers.

The tradition of serving as facilitators goes back to 1991, when Ali Alatas, then the foreign minister, helped broker a deal that led to the Cambodia Peace Accord. Last year, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa put his own diplomatic mettle to the test when he shuttled across the region to save the Association of Southeast Asian Nations from its first failure to agree on a joint statement at the Asean leaders’ summit.
But foreign policy analysts contend that the time is right for Southeast Asia’s largest economy to become more assertive on international stage.
By stating that the country is an honest broker, Jakarta is limiting the sphere within which it can push for its national interests, critics say.
“In this highly competitive nature of international politics, you can’t always be in the middle of everything and try to please everyone,” said Aleksius Jemadu, dean of Pelita Harapan’s School of Social and Political Studies.
“The action from India is laudable. They know what they want and pursue it rigorously,” he said, referring to India’s insistence on pursuing food subsidy policies that threatened to derail the WTO talks.

Being assertive
Yulius Purwadi, a lecturer at Parahyangan Catholic University’s School of Social and Political Studies, said that as the host and chair of the WTO meeting, Indonesia played a strategic role.
Indonesia, he says, is often viewed at international forums as “punching below its weight,” and should strive to do more.
“We must be more assertive. We are an emerging economy with 250 million people, we carry a lot of weight in international politics,” he said.
Indeed, the Bali Package — which is composed of 10 points, including potential agreements on trade facilitation, resolving agricultural disputes, and discussions on issues affecting least-developed countries — serves Indonesia’s national interest.
The agreement on agriculture, which was one of the major issues holding back a deal among the WTO’s 159 members, will provide Indonesia with more policy space to expand its food security program.
For instance, a deal on cotton, proposed by cotton-producing countries in Africa, could help to support Indonesia’s textile industry, which has made a comeback after being seen to be in its “sunset” phase.
And under the terms of the WTO’s farm agreement, developing nations will be allowed to subsidize their crops in order to maintain their food security as long as these programs do not distort trade or adversely affect the food security of other members.
The interim solution will last until the 11th Ministerial Conference, which would be four years from now, and it will report on the progress of the program in the next meeting. The WTO holds its ministerial meetings every two years.
India last week opposed any measure that would negatively affect its food security, and had opposed an interim solution. The nation recently passed a subsidized food program to support farmers and to ensure there was enough food available domestically.
“Since the establishment [of the WTO], this is the first ministerial [conference] which has come out with a very robust and balanced outcome, which reinforces the centrality of the WTO in the rule-based multilateral system,” Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma told reporters after the closing ceremony of the talks in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Saturday.
He said he was happy with the interim plan until the WTO comes up with a permanent solution.

Defining character
The WTO has a tradition of allowing its members to define themselves. South Korea still considers itself a developing country at the WTO forum, even though its economic status with a large per capita income shows otherwise.
Elsewhere in the Bali Package as a means to support least-developed countries, a developing nation will be asked to determine by itself on how much of the domestic market will be open to goods and services from developing countries.
The agreement on trade facilitation cluster in the package will inject as much as $1 trillion into the world economy per year by reducing costs of trade. At the same time, least-developed countries will allow poor countries to benefit more from the multilateral trading system by exporting more of their goods.
Indonesia must also notify the WTO on how it will comply with the trade facilitation agreement, which is broken down into three categories: agree to implement by as late as next year; determine its own date without assistance; determine its own date but with assistance.
Indonesia must tread carefully within the context of these terms of the agreement, warned Jemadu, pointing out that Indonesia often stood on the losing side when it came to agreement in opening up its market.
“I fear that it would be ACFTA all over again,” he said, referring to the Asean-China Free Trade Agreement that went into full force in 2009.
In that first year of full implementation, Indonesia’s trade deficit with China widened to $4.7 billion from $2.5 billion.
Deputy Trade Minister Bayu Khrisnamurti said Indonesia believed the WTO was a fair institution for all members.
“What happened is that the developed countries are better in articulating their interests, so it appears that the WTO benefits them the most,” he said.
But the international landscape has tilted in the direction of developing countries, Bayu said. “Therefore, we [developing countries] must become more explicit in pursuing our interests,” he said.

‘Tireless support’
Saturday’s closing ceremony was welcomed and cheered by all members of the WTO, despite objections by Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Bolivia, which voiced their concerns regarding trade embargoes on goods in transit.
Reservations by these countries resulted in a meeting with all of the heads of delegations that lasted until 5 a.m. on Saturday.
India’s Sharma admitted that he was in consultation with Roberto Azevedo, the WTO director general, and Indonesian Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan. A high-level diplomat, who declined to be identified, said Sharma met with Gita, Azevedo and US Trade Representative Michael Froman in a two-hour discussion that started at 2 a.m. on Friday.
Azevedo complemented Gita “for his able chairmanship, and for his tireless support, political acumen, and dedication to the task throughout this process.”
Despite being deprived of rest in talks that lasted since Friday, Gita looked ecstatic when making the announcement of the historic deal. So, too, did Avezedo, who had been said to have shed a tear.
“You have been critical to the success of this conference and this [Bali] package,” Azevedo told Gita in his closing remarks.
“I’m delighted to say for the first time in our history, the WTO has truly delivered.”

Special Moments of Grand Istana Rama with Orphaned Children

Special Moments of Grand Istana Rama and Australian Guests with

Orphaned Children

  

Warmest Greetings from Grand Istana Rama Hotel Kuta – Bali!

As human beings, people need to be aware of the children that need helps, care, and love, as the children left in an orphanage with no parents taking care of. There is a Donation Box in Grand Istana Rama Hotel in order to attract the guests to be aware of the surroundings, especially to donate their money to help the children in the orphanage.

On Wednesday, December 4^th , 2013, Grand Istana Rama Hotel together with the Australian guests, Mr. John and his wife, Ms. Lenore  Davis visited Dharma Jati II Orphanage on Jalan Trengguli Number 80, Penatih, Denpasar, Bali. Before that, the management staffs of Grand Istana Rama Hotel and the Australian guests went to one of Shopping

Malls on Sunset Road to buy nutritive snacks, biscuits, juices, jellies, oranges, and milk for the orphaned children. Furthermore, they bought T-Shirts with different colors and sizes.

There were also lunch boxes, bottles, bed sheets, and towels as donation from Grand Istana Rama Hotel and from the management staffs. A big chocolate birthday cake was also ready to be given to the orphaned children to celebrate any child in the Orphanage who had their birthday on November and December. Grand Istana Rama Staffs and the Australian guests conducted a birthday celebration party in Dharma Jati II Orphanage. There was a very touching moment when the staffs, Mr. John, Ms. Lenore Davis, and all the orphaned children sang the birthday song together, enjoyed the birthday cake together, and shared the donation that had been prepared. This togetherness was so warm and intimate. The orphaned children looked very excited with this visitation and donation.

 Grand Istana Rama Hotel has 150 rooms in a 1.7-hectare land area, with traditional Balinese architecture with lush tropical garden atmosphere, making guests feel comfortable and feel like home. All rooms and exterior design reflect the charm and appeal of Bali, with four type of rooms, which are Superior Upper, Superior Ground, Deluxe, and Garden Suite.

Grand Istana Rama Hotel has three meeting rooms with 50-250 person capacity. When the guests stay in Grand Istana Rama Hotel, the hotel will guarantee for long-lasting impression during their vacation in Bali. The guest will not only get usual memory of vacation by photographs in the hotel, enjoying the beach and souvenirs that have no impression and emotion inside, but the guests will also experience free cultural activities in particular that the hotel creates.

 The activities that the hotel conducts are; Bahasa Indonesia Lesson, Canang Decoration, Balinese Costume Photo Session, Balinese Massage, and Cooking Class. The hotel delivered a simple lesson of Bahasa Indonesia.  The simple Bahasa Indonesia lesson is given affectionately by our professional staffs, then after that, as the advantage, the guests will be more confident to make a deal or negotiate directly with art market vendors if they want to purchase souvenirs. The hotel introduces Balinese Culture with Canang Decoration, so that the guests will learn how to make Canang Decoration, and there will be Balinese Costume

Photo Session with Balinese Traditional Clothes. In the cooking class, the hotel invites the guests to be emotionally involved, starting from visiting the traditional markets to purchase the ingredients, and go back to the hotel to cook together with our professional chefs. 

Through these cultural activities, holiday with Grand Istana Rama Hotel will be long-lasting memorable.

Best regards,

Christine Wahyudi

Marketing Communications Officer

Grand Istana Rama Hotel

Jl. Pantai Kuta - Kuta , Denpasar-Bali