JAKARTA (indo.com): Former Minister of Investment and State Enterprise Development Laksamana Sukardi proposed that Bali should be evolved into a world center of art, saying that an art college of international standards should be established on the island.

Competent lecturers and famous artists (painters, choreographers and sculptors) should be invited to form the teaching staff or to become guest lecturers. "They should be given easy access to staying as permanent residents in Bali," he said.

Laksmana Sukardi, one of the top figures in the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDIP), made the proposal when speaking at a seminar in Denpasar, Bali recently.

"This (the presence of an international art college) would spur the development of Balinese culture and artists, helping them to reach international standards," he pointed out.

The presence of an international art college in Bali would represent Bali as an international center of art, like Paris representing an internal center of fashion, he said.

With the theme of creating Bali as an international art and cultural center, all programs should be mapped out in the master plan of the development of Bali, he said.

He said that investors are awaiting the master plan of each region to set priorities and investment programs in Indonesia. "The fiscal facilities and development program priorities offered are key factors in the success of investment in the course of the planned regional autonomy," he was quoted by Kompas daily as saying.

Within the framework of regional autonomy, development policies and strategies that the Bali administration sets should focus on efforts to retain its cultural heritage and develop it to allow for international recognition, he stressed.

Laksamana underscored the need to ensure security and enhance public services, saying that Bali should offer international-class public services. "First priority should be given to providing convenience and security for visitors in the form of hospitals and telecommunication infrastructures, airports and transportation facilities," he said.

As a tourism destination, Bali's main competitor was Hawai, he added.