President Jokowi Inaugurates Mandalika Circuit in West Nusa Tenggara

President Jokowi Friday (12/11) inaugurates Mandalika Circuit at Mandalika SEZ, Central Lombok regency, West Nusa Tenggara province. (Photo by: Presidential Secretariat/Kris)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo Friday (12/11) inaugurated Mandalika Circuit located at Mandalika Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Central Lombok regency, West Nusa Tenggara province.

“The construction of Mandalika Circuit with a length of 4.3 kilometers using the latest asphalt technology, namely stone mastic asphalt (SMA), has also been completed and is ready for use. Everything is ready to be use to support the world-class events in Mandalika region, such as the one soon to be held, namely World Superbike 2021 and later MotoGP in March 2022,” President Jokowi remarked.

Along with the inauguration of the Mandalika Circuit, the President also inaugurated a bypass road connecting Lombok International Airport (BIL) with the Mandalika SEZ.

The 17.3-kilometer long road is ready for use and will reduce travel time between the airport and the Mandalika SEZ to only fifteen minutes.

Prior to the inauguration, the President also tried the Mandalika Circuit by riding his personal motorbike.

“There are a lot of very sharp curves. There are 17 curves here, which I think are all difficult for me. For racers, there might be no problem, but for me it is very difficult,” the President said after the inauguration.

The President also underscored that in organizing international events at the Mandalika Circuit, health protocols must always be observed.

“Once again, the health protocols must be strictly observed and I have ordered that the [COVID-19] task force be present in each event to monitor the health protocols,” he added.

President Jokowi also expressed hope that the Mandalika Circuit could also create new points of economic growth in the province, while expressing belief that major international events such as World Superbike and MotoGP will bring a significant impact on economic growth in the region.

“We will try World Superbike first, then MotoGP. We will carry out an evaluation. Afterwards, we will see our direction,” he said.

For the record, the Mandalika Circuit is managed by Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), a state-owned enterprise specializing in development and management of tourism in the country. (Presidential Secretariat/AIT) (FI/EP)