YLKI About The Borobudur Temple Ride Ticket Price Of IDR 750,000: Just Cancel It, It's Irrational!

Chairman of the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) Tulus Abadi. (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The daily chairman of the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) Tulus Abadi criticized the government's policy of increasing the entrance ticket price to Borobudur Temple by Rp. 750,000 for local tourists and US$ 100 for foreign tourists.

He considered, if this decision is for the sake of conservation and saving Borobudur Temple, this can be done by limiting the number of visitors.

"There is no need for exorbitant tariffs. If the tariffs are exorbitant like that, it is not for conservation purposes but for commercial purposes," he told VOI, Monday, June 6.

According to him, with the application of an increased tariff to the temple with a high price like this, later only the rich will be able to enter the Borobudur Temple.

Tulus added that if the government set a high price, the management of the Borobudur Temple Area could add other rides that could be commercialized.

He took the example of the famous temple in Cambodia, Angkor Wat, which is more famous than Borobudur, which set a low price.

"For foreigners it's only 20 to 26 US dollars. Angkor Wat still exists, can bring in millions of tourists too. So just cancel the policy, it's irrational!" concluded Tulus.

Previously, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan decided to increase the tariff up to the Borobudur Temple by Rp. 750 thousand for domestic tourists and US$ 100 for foreign tourists.

Luhut emphasized that the plan to limit visitor quotas and increase tariffs to go up to the Borobudur Temple stupa area was the Government's effort to protect the World Cultural Heritage.

Meanwhile, to just enter the temple area, the tariff is also fixed at Rp. 50 thousand as it is today. Coordinating Minister Luhut also said that based on the input received, his party was considering providing special tariffs for residents of Central Java and Yogyakarta Provinces.

"I heard a lot of public input today related to the discourse of increasing tariffs for local tourists. Therefore, later I will ask the relevant parties to immediately review again so that the tariff can be lowered. I thank all of you for your great attention to this cultural heritage of our pride," said Luhut.