Exit tax

Exit tax

From Koran Tempo

We have been living in the reform era for about three years now, but the remnants of the New Order still prevail and are still kept alive. One of them is exit tax. When will the exit tax (now worth Rp 1 million) be abolished? Why must Indonesians be inhumanly squeezed? How much will a family consisting of four (father, mother and two children) going abroad have to pay for exit tax for a single trip? Rp 4 million before departing; isn't that ridiculous?

Indonesia is the only country in the world to have imposed a ridiculous exit tax. However, not a single paper or magazine across the country is willing to raise this as an issue.

VINCENT CARLETTI

Jakarta