Bali’s authorities tighten enforcement of the Foreign Tourist Levy with new boarding pass policy.
The Provincial Government of Bali is preparing to enforce a new policy concerning the Foreign Tourist Levy (Pungutan Wisatawan Asing or PWA), whereby proof of payment in the form of a Tourist Levy Voucher will become a mandatory requirement for obtaining a boarding pass when departing from Bali.
This initiative was announced by the Head of the Bali Tourism Office, Tjok Bagus Pemayun, during a recent press conference. To ensure effective implementation, the Provincial Government of Bali is collaborating with various stakeholders, including Society of IATA Traffic Airliners (SITA), a global organisation representing 36 major airlines.
“Hopefully, we can sign the MoU with SITA soon,” Pemayun said to the press on Tuesday, the 11th of March.
Pemayun also highlighted that SITA would have a crucial role in reminding international tourists of their obligation to pay the Foreign Tourist Levy.
“Ideally, travellers should pay the levy before arriving in Bali. But if they prefer to pay after arrival, that’s also fine. Nevertheless, if they try to leave Bali without having paid, they won’t be able to get their boarding pass. They must settle the payment first,” he explained.
Pemayun stated that discussions to formalise the partnership are ongoing. The system is expected to greatly enhance compliance, with projections indicating that levy collection could reach up to 95% efficiency, particularly for passengers travelling with SITA-affiliated airlines.
“With this collaboration, we believe we can surpass our revenue targets. Last year, our target was Rp250 billion, but we ended up collecting over Rp318 billion,” he concluded.