Govt to reject new visa-free facility plan<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza
\nMahendra has said the government would probably reject the idea
\nproposed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to give a visa-
\nfree facility for foreigners from some 20 countries in Europe and
\nAfrica.<\/p>\n
According to Yusril, the government has adequate reasons to
\nabandon the proposal of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism,
\nwhich was aimed at boosting the number of foreign tourists
\nentering the country.<\/p>\n
The 20 countries have no diplomatic relations with Indonesia
\nand some of them, such as Bulgaria, are still in crisis, he told
\nThe Jakarta Post after attending a pre-Christmas gathering at his
\noffice late on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"If we give a visa-free facility to the troubled countries, it
\nwould just bring new problems for us,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Yusril also doubted the willingness of the Ministry of Culture
\nand Tourism to take responsibility should visitors from the 20
\ncountries make trouble in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"They (the ministry) might simply leave the responsibility to
\nthe immigration authorities,\" he said. In Indonesia, immigration
\nis under the supervision of Yusril's office.<\/p>\n
\"The quarantine costs are not cheap for accommodating foreign
\nvisitors prior to deportation to their countries.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism would never take
\nresponsibility for this. So, we must be careful,\" Yusril warned.<\/p>\n
The proposal, therefore, needs to be cautiously considered
\nbefore it becomes effective and causes other problems, he added.<\/p>\n
Yusril's office has been considering charging fees for the
\nissuance of visas upon arrival for tourists from 47 countries,
\nwhich have long enjoyed the visa-free facility granted by
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
But he insisted on Saturday that the government did not have
\nthe intention of taxing foreign visitors to Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"What we are doing is reviewing the visa-free policy for a
\ntwo-month visit,\" Yusril said.<\/p>\n
The planned policy should be carried out since Indonesians
\ntraveling overseas have been receiving unfair treatment in which
\nthey have to pay quite a large amount of money for visas to enter
\nany of the 47 countries.<\/p>\n
Under the new planned policy, visitors from these countries
\ncould simply come directly with their passports without having to
\nsecure a visa from the Indonesian representative office in their
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
\"They can get their visa upon arrival at any destination
\nacross the country,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Separately, Director General of Immigration M. Mudakir told
\nreporters at his office on Friday that the scheme of charging
\nvisa fees upon arrival was being discussed by a small team in
\nBogor over the past two days.<\/p>\n
Mudakir said the results of the discussion would be forwarded
\nto the office of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Social
\nand Security Affairs pending a cabinet decision.<\/p>\n
He said, the planned fee to be charged for the visa on arrival
\nwas only US$50, while the length of the visit would be reduced
\nfrom 60 days to at least 30 days. (01)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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