BUNAKEN Simulation Exercise

Confidential Information for Representative of the Local Government of MANADO

The Governor of Manado is a busy man. As local chief executive he takes on different roles
everyday pertaining to the running of his province. With the aid of the province officials, local
district heads and administrators, this council makes sure that Manado is running smoothly.

He just emerged from a council meeting and one of the agenda is the proposed plan of the
Ministry of Forestry to take full jurisdiction of Bunaken Marine Park. Initially, the local council
agreed to stand with the recommendation of Tourism Department of North Sulawesi - that is,
to maintain the LGU’s share of the revenue derived from Bunaken. Given his clout and
influence, the council and the Governor are sure that this strong ally would help them maintain
its image as a well-run province.

The council recognized the income contribution of the park to its over-all income and would not
want to forego of that income potential. Loss of income has implications on the budget of the
local government and its capacity to implement programs that will address the welfare of its
community.

The discussions also brought about the realization that they do not have enough expertise in
preserving the environment. The issue has allowed the council to realize that there might be
some sense in what the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Forestry are saying: that the
preservation of the environment is essential for the income opportunity to be sustainable.

However, what swings it to the favor of the Ministry of Tourism is that the Ministry of Forestry
has not talked to them about the plan prior to the announcement. There are speculations and
questions of the integrity of the plan and has aroused a lot of suspicion among the council.