Menkumham Conveys G20 Delegation Gets Visa-Free to Bali

VIVA – Minister of Law and Human Rights (Menkumham), Yasonna H. Laoly conveyed that all delegates of the G20 Summit in Bali would be granted visa-free after a long queue was found at the VoA payment booth at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport.

"That's why Mr. Plt. Director General of Immigration during a sudden inspection of G20 readiness. As for the G20, we have granted visa-free travel to all delegates. So, they don't have to queue,” Minister Yasonna said in Denpasar on Friday, October 8, 2022.

The giving of visa-free to the G20 delegation is related to the discovery of a long queue at the Visa on Arrival (VoA) payment booth at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport, Bali, during a sudden inspection by the Plt. Director General of Immigration, Widodo Ekatjahjana.

In the sudden inspection, foreign tourists arriving at night queue up at a limited number of bank outlets, to pay using foreign currency cash or using an EDC machine.

"VoA must be paid, we cooperate with BRI bank. We have had a meeting with the Minister of the Economy so that the provisions concerning payments from abroad. Well, there is no need to pay cash here from outside, they can pay it," Yasonna said when responding to the condition.

The Minister of Law and Human Rights said that currently the payment regulation system is still under the authority of the Ministry of Finance and is being repaired, and later, there are no more queues at the airport, especially considering that visits to Bali continue to increase.

"Meanwhile, we hope that the ministry of finance can immediately revise the policy regarding payments from abroad and that visas will be easier. People just pay using credit cards, e-money, or whatever. So, that payments can be easier," Yasonna H. Laoly remarked.

According to him, this becomes important if the limited payment outlets are not comparable to some airlines landing simultaneously and resulting in snaking queues.

"But, it's an immigration matter. We hope that we will cooperate with banks. So, the payment counters in VoA can be increased," Yasonna H. Laoly added.