According to the government's controversial new policy, visa-

According to the government's controversial new policy, visa-
on-arrival facilities will be terminated for an as yet unknown
number of countries starting Dec. 1, 2003.

Incredibly enough, with only a few more weeks to go until the
onset of the December peak tourist season, the government so far
has not only failed to announce which countries are to be
affected by its new visa policy, but also to issue details
regarding the implementation of the policy.

Despite its far-reaching consequences for Indonesia's tourist
industry, this issue surprisingly has failed to attract
widespread media interest and neither embassy staff nor travel
agencies are in a position to shed light on the subject.

In the absence of visa-on-arrival facilities, visitors from
affected countries would have to undergo cumbersome visa
application procedures prior to their departure, and it is
anybody's guess how many of these people would opt for more
welcoming and hassle-free tourist destinations instead.

The visa-on-arrival policy has worked perfectly well in the
past and no tangible benefits can be achieved by its
discontinuation.

The introduction of "visa-on-arrival fees" would not only be a
far more sensible solution but also justified by the fact that
most foreign embassies in Jakarta charge Indonesian applicants
"visa processing fees".

With the Dec. 1 deadline now fast approaching, the
government's new visa policy needs to be clarified immediately if
further confusion and damage to the county's tourist industry are
to be avoided.

JOSEPH LOUIS SPARTZ
Jakarta