indonesian government plans to remove some countries from free-visa list

The government is planning to remove some of the 169 countries on the free-visa list, as few tourists from those countries travel to Indonesia.

The Law and Human Rights Ministry, along with related institutions, such as the Foreign Affairs Ministry, is currently evaluating the benefits of the free-visa policy, with the country standing to potentially lose around Rp 1 trillion (US$75.4 million) in non-tax revenue from the policy.

“There are some countries that have not contributed significantly to Indonesia's income. We granted them the free-visa policy but their citizens almost never vacation here,” Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly said during a meeting with the House of Representatives’ Commission II on Monday.