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Bali
Wants a Share from the Visa Fee
Bali
should receive some portion from the visa
fee paid by tourists who come to Indonesia
particularly through Bali’s international
airport. “We are not beggars, but just
asking for our rights,” said Chief
of Bali Forum, I Dewa Agung Lidartawan,
Monday (16/2).
The
Indonesian government applied a new rule
as of 1 February by making tourists who
come to Indonesia pay a visa on arrival.
This visa regulation impose for 21 countries
who charge visas for visiting Indonesians,
include US, Australia, Japan, and other
countries that are the main source market
of Bali’s tourism industry. 11 countries
receive visa free facilities, mostly ASEAN
countries under the reciprocal scheme.
Tourists must pay US$ 10 for a three day
visa or US$ 25 for 30 days for a non-extendable
tourist visa. Tourists have not complained
about the fee but blame the policy for lacking
socialization. Dozens of tourists were rejected
to enter Indonesia without visas categorized
as countries without the VoA facility. People
from the tourism industry have criticized
government policy because during this time
Indonesia needed more tourists to help the
country’s economy.
VoA policy was rejected by tourism industries
because of the great down turn, but government
still remained relentless to impose it.
Thousands of dollars have been received
by the government from the visa fee, and
Bali wants to get some share from visa income.
“We want government to allocate us
some money from the visa fee, because tourism
has a great impact on the economy,”
said Lidartawan as quoted in Bali Post (17/1).
“ But, we are still behind the people
who rejected the implementation of visa
on arrival, because this policy suppress
the tourism industry,” he said.
Lidartawan said that the loss of face by
the tourism industry as a result of the
implementation of VoA, should be accounted
for by the government. Bali is highly dependent
on tourism, thus, he said, any policy should
consider its potential negative impact on
the people.
“I did not understand the statement
of the Minister of Justice and Human right
who had said that Bali is begging to get
money from the visa fee, because we just
asking for our rights,” he said.
He urged government, law makers, and other
public components to work together to ask
for Bali’s right on the visa fee. He
referred to law number 25/1999 on the balance
of regional finance which provides a legal
basis for regional government to ask for
income from the central government. “We
have to go hand in hand, so that not to
repeat our failure when asking for a share
from the airport authority. We hope the
governor and chief of people’s representative
seriously struggles for it,” he said.
Bali receives no share from the airport’s
income, except a volunteer donation of Rp
10 billions rupiah. Failure to receive a
share from the visa fee is predicted to
intensify the protest against the implementation
of VoA. (BTN/04)
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