Luhut: Indonesia to Further Ease International Travel Restrictions

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian government planned to relax the travel restrictions, such as the entry test policy for foreign travelers visiting the country, and increase the number of incoming flight frequencies without causing a buildup at airports.

“The details regarding this will be stated in the task force circular letter which will be issued soon,” said the deputy chair of the COVID-19 Committee, Luhut Pandjaitan, at a press conference, Monday, April 4.

The government has relaxed a number of COVID-19 restrictions, such as applying the no-quarantine rule for travelers entering the country. Initially, the rule was only applied to those landing in Bali, Batam, and Bintan.

Luhut also said the government will open a number of international airports in Yogyakarta, Medan, Makassar, and Pekanbaru. However, he stopped short of explaining the details.

Additionally, the visa policy will be relaxed “to close to the rules before the pandemic.” 

The policy relaxation is taken by the government given a number of conditions. One of them is the increased spending in all regions according to the Mandiri Institute. “Even Bali and Nusa Tenggara reach their highest spending levels since the pandemic,” Luhut claimed.

The other conditions are the significant increase in public mobility, the positive growth of industrial activity for seven consecutive months, and Indonesia’s pre-pandemic levels or the normalcy index issued by The Economist, which is at 68 points out of 100.

Read: Indonesia Lifts Foreign Travel Restrictions to Bali, Riau

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