TANJUNGPINANG - Indonesian citizens who have not lived in Singapore for 14 days are required to do a swab test using the RT-PCR method with negative results if they want to travel by sea to the Riau Islands.
Secretary of the Riau Islands COVID-19 Handling Task Force, Muhamad Darwin, said that the policy was based on an addendum to Circular No. 17/2022, the Chairperson of the COVID-19 Task Force, which was signed on April 19, 2022.
Darwin also felt himself having to do a PCR test in Singapore as a condition to return to the Riau Islands.
"Recently I made a working visit to Singapore. I left in the morning, and wanted to return to Riau Islands in the afternoon, but was forced to stay overnight because I was waiting for the results of the PCR test, which would be known as early as six hours after the swab test," said Darwin, quoted by Antara, Friday, April 22.
According to him, the policy was implemented to limit Indonesian citizens to Singapore. However, specifically for the interests of the Riau Islands residents, the policy needs to be reviewed.
"First, the emotional and economic relationship between Singaporeans and Riau Islands residents has been established for a long time. Then, most Riau Islands residents go to Singapore for the day, don't stay overnight," he said.
Member of Commission II of the Riau Islands DPRD, Rudy Chua, said the policy was burdensome for Indonesian citizens and other foreigners who temporarily visited Singapore. However, the policy implemented based on the addendum to Circular No. 17/2022, the Chairperson of the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, benefits Singapore.
Meanwhile, for Indonesian citizens and other citizens other than Singaporeans who have been in a country neighboring the Riau Islands, it is enough to show an antigen test letter with a negative COVID-19 result.
Rudy, who is also a former hotelier in Tanjungpinang, suggested that the policy be reviewed because it burdens thousands of Indonesians in Singapore. Indonesian citizens, especially Riau Islands residents, rarely visit Singapore for more than a week.
In fact, most of them only visit Singapore for one day, except for important things, such as treatment, so it takes quite a long time.
"The cost of the PCR test in Singapore reaches Rp. 1 million. Of course this is burdensome," he said, who is also the former chairman of the Riau Islands Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association.
In addition, other foreigners, such as Australians, who vacation in South Korea and Singapore and then want to go to Indonesia, also have difficulty showing the fact on their passports that they have been in Singapore for 14 days. This is because Singapore, Australia and South Korea have abolished the passport stamp policy against people entering the country.
"The passport stamp policy has been abolished in Australia, South Korea and Singapore, how do you prove that they have been in Singapore for 14 days? In the end, they have to undergo a PCR test," he said.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Riau Islands Tourism Office, Buralimar, hopes that the swab test policy using the PCR method will be removed for Indonesian citizens and foreign tourists in Singapore when they want to travel by sea to Riau Islands.
Buralimar emphasized that tourists and Indonesian citizens from Singapore who want to go to Riau Islands only need an antigen test at the entrance to international ports in Riau Islands.
"We continue to fight for the center to abolish the PCR test policy because it requires expensive costs, and prevents tourists from entering the Riau Islands," he said.
According to him, more than 1000 Singaporeans and Malaysians have vacationed in Riau Islands since the end of February 2022 until now. If the policy of eliminating PCR tests is implemented, he believes tens of thousands of tourists will enter the Riau Islands in a month.
"We are targeting 2 million foreign tourists to travel to Riau Islands this year. This is not impossible if the PCR test policy is removed," he said.
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