TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Hotels and Restaurants Association or PHRI in Bali, I Gusti Ngurah Rai Suryawijaya, urged the local government to carry out strict supervision of foreign investors entering the resort island. According to Suryawijaya, the Bali government must tighten supervision for foreigners opening businesses in the province and ensure all incoming investments are legal and licensed.

“(The government) must limit what kinds of businesses are allowed. Don’t let them take locals’ jobs,” he said by telephone on Monday, June 17, 2024.

Many foreigners from Russia are opening salons, renting out motorbikes, and even becoming yoga teachers in Bali, he said. According to him, it is important to police any foreigner aiming to open a business in Bali, including by increasing the minimum capital required. “Rp10 billion for foreign citizens is not that much. It must be increased,” he said. "Don't let them (foreigners) become brokers or realtors here."

The Bali government must have a clear policy against foreigners to ensure the province is a culture-based, quality, and dignified tourism destination. “Don't let them take all the locals' jobs and make us the spectators,” he said.

Not only are their businesses opening in Bali, but many foreigners on the island also behave badly and disrupt the lives of residents. Some examples are being rowdy, entering sacred places without appropriate clothing, and forgoing helmets.

Suryawijaya suggested that the Bali government create an authority body to supervise foreigners. "And local communities must set a good example," he said.

IKHSAN RELIUBUN

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