Badung, Bali (WNAM MONITORING): Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Bima Arya Sugiarto, said that the suggestion to provide incentives to regions contributing to national foreign exchange earnings through tourism is feasible, but will need to be backed by a regulation.
He made the remarks in response to a suggestion from Bali Governor Wayan Koster, who expressed the hope that regions attracting global tourists would be given incentives in the form of support for the development of tourism infrastructure.
“It is highly possible for regions with good performance in strengthening our fiscal capacity,” he said.
To enable the provision of such incentives, a regulation outlining the requirements and criteria for beneficiaries will need to be drafted, he added.
Currently, there are no specific regulations for the provision of such incentives; however, regional incentive funds can be used for regions that generate foreign exchange through tourism.
The deputy minister said that once the regulation is prepared, he will coordinate with the Ministry of Finance on the incentives.
The utilization of the incentives, once they have been provided, will also need to be considered, he added.
“We hope that tourism will be sustainable, not only record a high number of tourists,” he said.
Governor Koster had suggested the incentives to Commission VII of the House of Representatives (DPR) during a meeting in Denpasar on Wednesday.
Bali is said to be deserving of the incentives as the island adds the most to the country’s tourism foreign exchange, with a contribution of up to 44 percent.
Therefore, he said that it is appropriate for Bali to benefit from the central government’s affirmative policy to ensure high-quality and sustainable tourism on the island.
