Govt revokes visa-free facility for 48 countries

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government has forged ahead with its plan to revoke the visa- free facility extended to nationals of 48 countries despite determined opposition from the country's tourism industry.

It has also reduced the length of the visa-free stay from 60 days to 30 days, according to a presidential decree made public on Tuesday.

The decree, however, will not take effect until the government issues executory rules and regulations putting meat on the bones of the decree.

The decree, which was signed by President Megawati Soekarnoputri on March 31, permits short visa-free visits for the nationals of 11 countries only, namely Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, the Philippines, Hong Kong S.A.R., Macao S.A.R., Chile, Morocco, Turkey and Peru.

The government claims the decision is based on the reciprocity principle, meaning that Indonesia extends the privilege to those countries that are willing to provide the same privilege for Indonesian citizens.

The visa-free facility, first introduced in 1983, was primarily designed to attract more foreign tourists to the country. But the government has argued that the facility has often been abused by foreigners who work in the country illegally or who are engaged in other activities.

Under the new decree, nationals from countries other than those designated will no longer be entitled to the facility. Instead, they will be granted a visa of 30 days at the port of entry port upon arrival .

Such a 30-day visa issued at the port of entry will be non- extendible and will not be capable of being converted into another type of visa.

The decree also stipulates that in the case of tourists visiting the country based upon a contract between an Indonesian tour operator and a foreign tour operator, a grace period of six months will be granted before the new policy is applied.

Ade E. Dachlan, a spokesman for the Directorate General of Immigration at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, told The Jakarta Post that the new rules had yet to come into effect.

"The minister (of justice and human rights, Yusril Ihza Mahendra) has yet to draft the technical guidelines for the implementation of the decree. We also need time to inform our offices of the decree," he said, adding that the new rules could come into effect within less than one month.

He said the guidelines would set out the administration and payment procedures to be applied at the country's ports of entry.

Investment and tourism experts have warned that the move will be a major setback for the country's economic recovery process.