Entrance ports ready for new visa policy
Entrance ports ready for new visa policy
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang, Banten
Two weeks prior to the implementation of the new visa policy on
Feb. 1, international airports and seaports throughout Indonesia
appear to have completed their preparations.
At the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Tuesday, a row
of three counters has been erected at the arrival gate for
international flights.
During a trial run at the airport on Tuesday, Minister of
Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra expressed his
satisfaction with the preparations.
"There will be no more debate over the new visa policy. I
answered all the questions posed by the tourism industry during a
recent discussion ... They finally agreed that the policy will
proceed."
The new policy cuts the length of stay of tourists able to
continue availing of the free-visa-on-arrival facility from 60
days to 30 days. The new pay-on-arrival visa will also only allow
visitors to stay for 30 days. A tourist has to pay US$25 for a
30-day visit and $10 for a three-day visit.
The pay-on-arrival visa will be required of visitors from over
20 countries.
Among these countries are the United States, Argentina,
Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Poland,
South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates
and Taiwan.
Meanwhile, the citizens of other countries that currently
provide visa-free facilities to Indonesian tourists will continue
to be given visas-on-arrival free of charge. These countries
include Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, the
Philippines, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macao
Special Administrative Region, Chile, Morocco, Peru and Vietnam.
"The new policy will enable us to better monitor foreigners
entering the country and their activities here," Yusril claimed.
The tourism industry has been vehemently opposed to the new
policy, and has not been assuaged by claims that the revenue
generated from tourists will be used to help finance the
government's antiterrorism campaign in a bid to improve the
country's poor security image.