Lombok Tengah Regent Pledges Action on Licensing Delays
Lombok Tengah Regent Lalu Pathul Bahri told investors to report deliberate licensing delays directly to him. First-quarter investment reached Rp 2.1 trillion (about US$125 million), led by tourism projects.
By Pandi Muktar
Editor: Mursyid Sonsang
· 2 min read
Lombok Tengah — Regent Lalu Pathul Bahri said investors should report directly to him if bureaucratic officials deliberately delay their business-licensing applications, speaking after a tourism discussion in Praya Barat Daya on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026.
Pathul said investments that meet the requirements would receive permits, while acknowledging that applications can require checks on protected agricultural land. Lombok Tengah has been designated by the central government as a buffer area for national food production, making land-use verification part of the licensing process.
Investment in the regency reached Rp 2.1 trillion (about US$125 million) in the first quarter of 2026, or 51 percent of the West Nusa Tenggara provincial government’s Rp 4 trillion (about US$250 million) target. The figure comprised Rp 1.5 trillion (about US$94 million) in domestic investment and about Rp 541 billion (about US$34 million) in foreign investment.
Why the licensing pledge matters to investors in Lombok Tengah
The statement offers a direct escalation route for investors who believe an application is being intentionally held up, but it does not remove the requirement to satisfy zoning and basic licensing rules. Tourism projects accounted for the dominant share of first-quarter investment and were concentrated in Pujut, Praya Barat Daya and Praya Barat.
For foreign investors, the practical distinction is between an alleged administrative delay and a permit application that remains subject to land-protection or spatial-planning checks. Pathul said the local administration was preparing policies intended to accelerate investment and make the process more comfortable for businesses while keeping those safeguards in place.
The first-quarter total had already reached more than half of the provincial target. Pathul nevertheless urged relevant agencies to continue monitoring and accelerating licensing for projects that comply with spatial plans and have completed the required basic permits.
Sources
Read next
Most read in Business & Investment
Bali governor asks booking platforms to check accommodation licences
Bali Governor Wayan Koster has asked online travel agencies to verify business licences before listing villas, rental houses and other accommodation m…
Today’s top story
Related
