Only 40% of foreign visitors to Bali paid new tourist tax since Feb

Lack of compliance with the new levy due to insufficient checks, poor coordination

- Linda Yulisman

JAKARTA -Less than half of inbound visitors to Indonesia's resort island of Bali have paid a new tourist tax of 150,000 rupiah (S$12.60) imposed since Feb 14, its tourism agency said.

Experts have attributed the lack of compliance with the new levy to insufficient checks and coordination among the authorities.

Bali hopes to reap 250 billion rupiah from the levy in 2024, which it intends to use on the preservation of Bali's nature and culture, including for cleaning up its beaches.

Tourism which is the province's main source of income has created a wide range of problems for the authorities and locals who struggle with issues such as waste management and misbehaving tourists, experts say.

Currently, foreign visitors can pay the tax online at the Love Bali website or via mobile phone app using bank transfer, a virtual account or QRIS payment even before their arrival in Bali.

They can also make payment in person at counters set up at the I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport or seaports.

After making payment, they will receive a voucher sent by e-mail, which they can use as proof of payment.

But, in the first two months of its implementation, only around 40 per cent of 15,000 foreign visitors arriving in Bali daily had paid the tax, said Bali tourism agency's marketing chief Ida Ayu Indah Yustikarini.

"Many foreign tourists don't know about this tax," she told The Straits Times.