Medan issues new travel policy<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, Medan<\/p>\n
The North Sumatra provincial administration announced on Friday
\nthat Indonesian nationals traveling to Malaysia through seaports
\nand airports in Medan would not be required to pay a fiscal tax.<\/p>\n
Speaking on behalf of the North Sumatra governor, a senior tax
\nofficial said the fiscal-free departure would apply to Polonia
\nAirport, and the Belawan and Tanjung Balai ports.<\/p>\n
Bambang Heru Ismiarso, the head of North Sumatra's Directorate
\nGeneral of Taxation, said the new policy was introduced following
\na request by the Malaysian government to the North Sumatra
\ngovernor.<\/p>\n
The request was made through a letter dated June 6 this year,
\nsigned by Mohd Yusoff bin A. Bakar, Malaysia's consul general in
\nMedan, the capital of North Sumatra province.<\/p>\n
Fiscal-free travel would be aimed at boosting trade and
\ntourism between the two countries, according to Yusoff in the
\nletter.<\/p>\n
\"The new facility is taking effect today (Friday) at the
\nrequest of the Malaysian government,\" Bambang said.<\/p>\n
He said Director General of Taxation Hadi Purnomo had earlier
\nimposed a fiscal-free policy for flights between Padang, the
\ncapital of West Sumatra, and Kuala Lumpur.<\/p>\n
In addition to West Sumatra and North Sumatra, there are other
\nfive other provinces in Indonesia where a similar policy is in
\nplace: Aceh, Riau, Bengkulu, Jambi and South Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Bambang said the tax office would lose revenue as a result of
\nthe new policy. According to data from Polonia Airport, the
\ngovernment collects Rp 3 billion (US$315,789) in revenue each
\nmonth from fiscal payments at the airport.<\/p>\n
The old fiscal policy required each person traveling to
\nMalaysia through Polonia Airport to pay Rp 1,000,000 in fiscal,
\nwhile those traveling to Malaysia through Belawan or Tanjung
\nBalai ports were required to pay Rp 250,000.<\/p>\n
The North Sumatra Tourism Board hailed the new policy, saying
\nit would provide a boost to airlines and tourism-related
\nbusinesses in North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Antara reported that flights on Malaysian Air System (MAS),
\nthe only airline offering direct flights between Medan and Kuala
\nLumpur, were nearly fully booked on Friday, the first day of the
\nnew policy.<\/p>\n
A marketing officer at Polonia Airport said 80 percent of MAS
\ntickets from Medan to Kuala Lumpur on Friday had been sold.
\nMAS serves the Medan-Kuala Lumpur route twice a day, at 1 p.m.
\nand 3 p.m., with return tickets costing $138.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/medan-issues-new-travel-policy-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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