Indonesian Government mulls foreign tourist tax after viral incidents

Indonesia's Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said the plan was being studied to determine the amount of foreign tourist tax and whether it was the right step to take. - Bloomberg

JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network): The Indonesian Government is considering a tax for foreign tourists after controversial incidents made their rounds on social media, but industry associations warn that businesses may suffer as a result.

Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan called for the new levy to be imposed soon. “Don’t ever sell Indonesia short. We need to show them (foreign tourists) that we are a nation that greatly upholds cultural values, tradition and rules,” he said in an Instagram post on April 3.