Why you’re paying for Bali’s crooked immigration officials
DENPASAR – The move by Indonesian authorities to scrap the
US$10 7-day visa-on-arrival fee, and charge all visitors for a 30-day US$25 visa, is being linked to efforts to stamp out corruption among Bali’s immigration officers.
In 2009, immigration officials at Denpasar Airport immigration office were caught embezzling Rp. 3 Billion (US$300,000) in visa fees through the misreporting of 7-day and 30-day fees.
Bali Update (www.balidiscovery.com) said the change, which came into effect with little warning on January 26, means that tourists from countries eligible for visa-on-arrival will now be given a 30-day visa that can be renewed for an additional 30 days.
The move, trumpeted by the government as a step to help increase tourist visitors to Indonesia and encourage a longer length of stay, is not without its critics.
Firmansyah Hakim, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s director general of tourism destination development, was quoted by The Jakarta Globe criticising the new policy, saying, “I am worried the regulation would affect foreign tourists who make frequent short stays . . .We are going to ask the immigration department to sit down with us and hopefully we can come up with a solution,” he said.
New flight capacity offered between Australia and Bali by low cost carriers has encouraged Australians to take short breaks in Bali.
A family of four on a week’s holiday to Bali will now have to pay US$100 for their visas instead of US$40 under the previous scheme.
ASEAN nationals are exempt for the new visa policy and are granted a visa-free facility for their Indonesian visits.
Ian Jarrett
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