Abolishing visa

Abolishing visa
free facility

The Jakarta Post of Aug. 31 reported a proposal from the
Directorate General of Immigration to end the visa free visit
facility for nationals of most countries.

The advantage of this idea is that it would fill the coffers
of the immigration department.

The disadvantage is that tourists would be deterred by the
extra expense and the expected inconvenience, considering
Indonesia's reputation as a corrupt country and the knowledge
that immigration departments everywhere tend to be obstructive
and bureaucratic.

The worst affected areas would be those which depend on
tourism, such as Bali. A decline in tourism could stem the flow
of job-seeking migrants from Java to Bali but Balinese themselves
would find it hard to leave the island in search of employment.

They could not come to Jakarta, due to Governor's Sutiyoso's
strategy to make Jakarta wealthy by booting out anybody who is
not wealthy. Nor could they go to Malaysia, whose government is
now complementing the Indonesian government policy to drive poor
Indonesians out of employment.

An alternative proposal from the Ministry of Tourism is to cut
the visa free visit period from sixty to thirty days as the
"average length of stay for foreign tourists is between 10 days
and 12 days".

Whatever the exact figures are, it is clear that if this cut
is made, tourists who would stay for thirty to sixty days will
visit either for less time or not at all. The average length of
stay will drop. Unless we believe that tourists who are only
allowed to stay half as long will spend their money twice as
fast, tourist receipts will also drop.

This will hit hardest in remote areas that have little chance
of attracting short-stay tourists, such as Alor, Sumba or the
Togian Islands.

Large hotel chains probably have enough lobbying power to
prevent the abolition of the visa free facility. But small
businesses in remote parts of Indonesia hardly make enough money
to sew a decent suit for Jakarta politicians, let alone line the
pockets. So the proposal to shorten the visa free visit period
has a much better chance of adoption.

JOHN HARGREAVES

Jakarta