House Of Representatives Commission VII: Foreigners Will Be Subjected To Tourism Taxes Through The Tourism Bill

Melasti Beach, Badung, Bali/ILLUSTRATION BETWEEN

JAKARTA - Chairman of Commission VII DPR Saleh Partaonan Daulay said the Draft Law (RUU) on Tourism will regulate foreign nationals (WNA) entering Indonesia and aim at tourist destinations to be taxed.

According to him, this is the focus of Commission VII of the DPR in discussing the Tourism Bill in order to increase state revenue through the tourism sector. For example, he said, later there will be individual taxes imposed on foreigners.

"So people don't just come to Bali, but they still pay taxes. How much and so on, they will be taken into account," Saleh said as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, February 25.

Currently, he said, various foreigners can easily visit tourist destinations in Indonesia. In fact, he said, the people who came only brought minimal money and did not have much impact on state revenue.

"It turns out that I don't have money either, there's not enough money, only makeshift money can already be tourism there. So we have to think about how to increase revenue from the state from tourism," he said.

In addition, according to him, the bill also wants to develop tourism in rural areas, or so-called tourist villages. With the development of tourist villages, the income will be felt directly by the surrounding community which can also have an impact on the economy.

The community, he said, would be more aware of the economic potential of the tourism sector. That way, he hopes that Indonesia will catch up with the tourism sector from other countries in ASEAN.

"We are still left behind with several countries, such as Thailand, so we have to pursue it," he said.

In addition, he also wants Indonesia's tourism sector to become cultural diplomacy with countries in the world.

That way, the characteristics or identities of the country can be better known through tourism.

"Even if you need tourism, it could become cultural diplomacy abroad, in all the great concerns of the Republic of Indonesia, it can be used as their place for diplomacy," he said.

However, he said, the proposal regarding tourism as cultural diplomacy was not easy because the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had not wanted it. Because, he said, state diplomacy activities can only be carried out by the ministry.

"Now we are thinking what is the most appropriate sentence to do the previous task," he said.

Commission VII DPR RI is in charge of industry, creative economy, tourism, MSMEs and publication facilities.