Bali Ombudsman Highlights Transparency in Foreign Tourist Levy Fund Management
Indonesia’s Ombudsman Office, Bali Representative, has highlighted transparency concerns in the management of foreign tourist levy (PWA) funds by the Bali Provincial Government (Pemprov). Allegations of misappropriation in PWA fund management are currently being investigated by the Attorney General’s office.
Ni Nyoman Sri Widhiyanti, Head of the Ombudsman Office’s Bali Representative, stated that she had reviewed the governance of cultural tourism services in Bali for foreign tourists. She noted several potential cases of maladministration in the implementation of the foreign tourist levy policy.
“Several potential issues identified include possible procedural irregularities or service delays in providing Bali’s cultural protection and environmental content, complaint management through the Love Bali system, and the mechanism for examining levy vouchers for foreign tourists,” said Widhiyanti.
Widhiyanti stated that the Ombudsman does not have the authority to assess the legal enforcement process currently underway at the Attorney General’s office. Nevertheless, the Ombudsman continues to monitor developments in the investigation as part of public transparency efforts.
To date, she said, no formal complaints have been submitted to the Ombudsman regarding the PWA policy in Bali. “No reports have been received. However, the Ombudsman office is monitoring social media where members of the public have requested transparency regarding the realisation and use of PWA funds,” Widhiyanti added.
On the other hand, the Ombudsman noted that Pemprov Bali continues to make efforts to improve the implementation of the policy, including strengthening regulations, improving governance, and enhancing supervision systems.
Widhiyanti explained that the Ombudsman’s Bali office has submitted several recommendations to the Bali Provincial Tourism Department to strengthen the governance of the foreign tourist levy implementation. These include developing standards for levy payment services, standard operating procedures for levy voucher inspections, and strengthening the complaint handling mechanism through the Love Bali system.
The Ombudsman hopes that the implementation of the foreign tourist levy policy can proceed transparently and accountably. Moreover, the policy is designed to support sustainable tourism on the Island of the Gods, environmental conservation, and local cultural values.
“The hope is that on one hand it can increase Bali’s regional revenue and on the other hand improve cultural tourism services in Bali for foreign tourists,” said Sri Widhiyanti.
Previously, the Attorney General’s office was investigating allegations of misappropriation in PWA fund management in Bali. This policy began being implemented on 14 February 2024 at a rate of 10 US dollars, or approximately 150,000 Indonesian rupiah per foreign tourist at the time.
The process currently underway at the Attorney General’s office remains in the clarification stage regarding PWA fund management. The Attorney General’s office has also requested several documents and statements from officials within Pemprov Bali regarding the mechanism for collecting, managing, and using PWA funds.