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No: 268, 11 Mar - 18 Mar 2022
31 int’l tourists enter Bali with visas on arrival — up 4 times from Monday The Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali recorded as many as 31 international tourists arriving on the Island of the Gods yesterday and obtaining visas on arrival (VOA). The number was a fourfold increase compared to the seven foreigners who were granted VOA on Monday. All of the foreigners mentioned landed in Bali yesterday after boarding Jetstar Asia Airways and Singapore Airlines. Both airlines departed from Singapore. “From the Jetstar Asia Airways [flight 3K-243] Singapore-Denpasar route there were [a total of] 12 foreign citizens, while from the Singapore Airlines [flight SQ-944] there were 26 foreign citizens,” Jamaruli Manihuruk, who heads the Bali office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, said.
The significant increase was a breath of fresh air for tourism in Bali, added Jamaruli, who hoped the reintroduction of VOA could revitalize the island’s tourism after a two-year struggle due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Flight 3K-243 reportedly carried 16 passengers including four Indonesians, one Filipino, four Singapore citizens, three Russian nationals, two Malaysians, one UK citizen, and one American. Of all the passengers, the two Malaysians along with two Singapore citizens and the American were granted VOA. The passengers of the Singapore Airlines’ flight SQ-944 who obtained VOA included four Australian citizens, two Canadians, three French citizens, three German citizens, three Malaysians, one
Singapore citizen, five UK citizens, and five citizens of the US. Passengers who flew with the Singapore Airlines and arrived with non-VOA visas included citizens of Belgium, Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, and Saudi Arabia among other countries. The 23 nationalities listed as eligible for VOA for now include Singapore, Australia, the US, Netherlands, Brunei, the Philippines, the UK, Italy, Japan, Germany, Cambodia, Canada, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, France, Qatar, New Zealand, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam. (coconuts.co)
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‘Stranded’ in Bali, Russian nationals seek ways to get money from home Elena said she had already withdrawn all of her money before her MasterCard was blocked.
From applying for Indonesian ATM cards to looking into cryptocurrency to temporarily using friends’ bank accounts, Russian nationals in Bali are reportedly looking for ways to receive money following financial restrictions resulting from sanctions. When the news of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine broke out, Elena (not her real name), a 36-year-old graphic designer and entrepreneur from Russia who resides in Bali, was working on her laptop while enjoying her coffee at a café in Canggu. “There was a lot of propaganda from both Europe and Russia’s sides,” she said, adding that she did not expect Russia to carry out the invasion – until it did.
“We [Russians] kind of expected something would happen but we didn’t think it would be this massive,” she said. “We were expecting some sanctions [that result in a Ukrainian] economic crisis. But no, nothing as crazy as [the war].” Immediately, Elena, whose family from her father’s side originated from Ukraine, was immersed in the harrowing news. “I practically forgot about my coffee,” she said. Like many Russian nationals abroad, Elena and others in Bali have felt the sting from financial restrictions as a result of the war. American payment card firms Visa and MasterCard have blocked numerous financial institutions in Russia following the US’ sanction against the country after its devastating attack on Ukraine.
“It was a mission on its own because when I went to the ATMs [last week] there was no cash in any of the machines. A bunch of Russians queued at ATMs in Batubolong [in Canggu] but [there was no cash in] all of the ATMs,” she said.
Coconuts has reached out to several local banks for confirmation. Contacted via Instagram, PermataBank said that valid KITAS, KITAP (permanent stay permit), passport, and NPWP (tax identification numbers) are needed by a foreigner who wants to open an account at their bank. However, in the absence of KITAS or KITAP, applicants can submit a reference letter in their place, the bank said, without elaborating further.
“A lot of people are looking at crypto. This is why, I think, people want to open local bank accounts so [they] can cash out cryptocurrency,” she added.
Separately, Giri Tribroto, the head of the Bali and Nusa Tenggara office of Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK), told Coconuts that they would monitor reports of Russians rushing to local banks to open accounts.
Elena said that one way for herself and other Russians to get money from home is to buy cryptocurrency via their Russian bank accounts, and transfer the digital commodity to their friends in Bali who have non-Russian bank accounts.
“We haven’t received any information, but bank queues are normal as long as there’s no rush [long lines]. If this causes trouble, the bank will report to the OJK,” he said.
Alternatively, Russians in Indonesia can get around the SWIFT blockade on Russian institutions by opening an Indonesian bank account. Elena said that her friend recently went to a local bank and saw many Russians queuing there to apply for an Indonesian ATM card. “The whole thing is kind of dodgy, [the bank said ] you kind of need to find a sponsor. It’s pretty much illegal if you have a tourist visa [to apply for a local card],” Elena said. Elena was informed that such exploitation of loopholes was actually quite common but largely under the radar. However, with many Russian nationals reportedly applying for local ATM cards following the invasion, she heard that the whole practice was being shut down. “Unless you have KITAs,” she added, referring to the limited stay permits issued by the authorities for nonIndonesian residents. A social media post on a local Facebook community in Canggu claimed that they could get Russian nationals without KITAs a local bank account as long as they are “sponsored” by an Indonesian who has had an account at said bank for at least six months. And that’s where their “services” come into play.
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Furthermore, Giri explained that banks generally would accept foreigners with KITAs in addition to valid passports, but a bank is also allowed to accept those with tourist visas provided that there are additional documents included that convince the bank that the customer does not pose any threats. He added that some banks generally have their own risk appetite and evaluation and may “treat” Russia as a high-risk country, and thus Russian applicants may undergo enhanced due diligence to ensure that they are not part of a terrorism network or drug trafficking crime group. “[But] Russia is not on the Financial Action Task Force’s high-risk list like Iran and North Korea,” he said, before adding that OJK does not forbid Indonesian banks to accept account opening applications from Russian nationals, as long as they abide by local rules. Amid the convoluted financial mess, Elena branded the invasion “ridiculous” and said she hoped it would end soon. “[President Vladimir] Putin’s days are over. He made a massive mistake. I hope there will be a revolution soon,” she said.
(balidiscovery.com)
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96.9 Km Gilimanuk-Mengwi Toll by Nov ’24 The State News Agency Antara reports that the Minister of Public Works and Public Housing, Basuki Hadimuljono, has stated that the new Gilimanuk – Mengwi Toll Road in West Bali will feature dedicated lanes for motorcyclists.
n a statement that is incorrect and ignores the current motorcycle lanes in operation on the Bali Mandara Toll connecting Sanur-Kuta-Nusa data, Hadimilijono said: “This is maybe the first toll road in Indonesia with a lane for motorcycles. Because this is a tourism area, we must make allowances for the needs of tourism players.” The Minister’s comments were made during his virtual participation at the signing ceremony held on Tuesday, 09 March for the Gilimanuk-Mengwi toll road.
The Public Works Minister said the GilimanukMengwi Toll Road, the Yogya-Solo Toll Road, and Bawean-Yogya Toll Road form part of the priority National Strategic Project (PSN). Basuki also reminded all involved in constructing the new Bali Toll Road to be steadfast in ensuring the construction of the roadway takes care to protect the natural environment. “We will build the road) to the best of our abilities while working with all our might to continue and maintain the environment. Initially, we were going to build a toll road in the middle of Bali. But, I felt that if we built a toll road in the middle of the Island, it would damage the environment, so we decided to build the road on the beach,” said Basuki. When completed, the Gilimanuk – Mengwi Toll Road will boost tourism development in Bali’s west and north and substantially reduce the traveling time between the Port of Gilimanuk and Bali capital city of Denpasar. The toll road will cross three different Bali regencies– Badung, Jembrana, and
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Tabanan. The road is being constructed at the cost of Rp. 24.6 trillion, with work to begin in June 2022 with completion slated for November 2024. The road is being built over three phases. The first phase is 54 kilometers in length connecting Gilimanuk and Perkutatan. The second phase of 23 kilometers will connect Pekutatan and Sok. The third phase will measure 18.9 kilometers connecting Soka and Mengwi. The Gilimanuk-Pekutatan sector will feature four lanes, two lanes in opposing directions. The Pekutatan – Mengwi sector will have a separate lane reserved for motorcycles and a pedestrian pathway. (balidiscovery.com)
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