Visa renewal in Bali

I read the letter Pay tourists to come here by Ian Gregory published in The Jakarta Post on May 31. It looks like a good idea to me. Therefore, I will mention an idea that was introduced some years ago.

In the United States or Canada, if a foreigner needs to renew a visa, that individual does not have to exit the country. It can all be done locally. It is my suggestion that the Indonesian government should activate such policy, and put a visa renewal or extension office in Denpasar, Bali.

Then foreigners could go to Bali to renew or extend their tourist visa, visitors visa, work permit, etc.

This way the money now spent by visa holders to travel outside of Indonesia to get renewals would instead be spent locally for airfares, hotels, restaurants, going to Bali for the renewals, instead of spending their money outside of Indonesia to do the same thing.

The local airlines, hotels and businesses in Indonesia, especially Bali would gain the benefit of the money spent locally instead of money going overseas.

JIM SWANSON, Jakarta