Tabanan Regional Assembly Reveals Foreign Nationals Owning Land in Tourism Accommodation Projects

The Tabanan Regional Assembly (DPRD) has exposed allegations of land ownership by foreign nationals through nominee schemes in several tourism accommodation projects. This emerged following indicators of foreign investor involvement when the Assembly’s Commission I conducted a surprise inspection for spatial planning violations.

“When we went to the field, at several locations we observed capital investors from foreign nationals,” said I Gusti Nyoman Omardani, Chair of Commission I of the Tabanan DPRD, when confirmed on Friday, 13 March 2026.

According to Omardani, the pattern that emerged typically involved cooperation with local residents whose identities were merely borrowed for land ownership or business purposes, whilst the source of development funding came from foreign parties.

This indication was further strengthened by reports from the Tabanan Civil Service Police Unit (Satpol-PP). The results of inspections on nine villas in Cepaka Village, Kediri District, indicated that seven of them were utilising nominee schemes.

Consequently, Commission I of the Tabanan DPRD requested that the regional government no longer tolerate such practices as they have the potential to accelerate the conversion of productive land. Moreover, provincial-level regulations now explicitly prohibit nominee scheme ownership patterns.

“Previously such a regional regulation did not exist. Now the rules are clear, so in future this should no longer occur,” Omardani asserted.

The Tabanan DPRD also requested that the regional government take concrete steps to address the alleged violations, particularly if foreign nationals are exploiting the names of local residents to acquire land or tourism businesses in the region.