Marguerite Afra Sapiie, Jakarta – The government's introduction of free visas for the citizens of 169 countries has been criticized by lawmakers.

House of Representative member Wihadi Wiyanto said on Monday that instead of adding to the number of nationalities eligible for free visas, the government should cancel the free-visa policy altogether because it offered more disadvantages than advantages for the country.

"We lose revenue and economic benefits. We have to face the fact that the free-visa policy should not be expanded but revoked," Gerindra Party lawmaker Wihadi said during a House hearing. There had been an influx foreigners, such Chinese, whom he said claimed to be foreign workers but were involved in crimes or did business illegally here.

For example, Wihadi said, the police often arrested foreigners for fraud, trafficking and prostitution. He also claimed that foreigners had set up unlicensed travel bureaus in Bali, traded illegally at local markets and had formed a syndicate to offer fake immigration stamps for visa extensions.

NasDem lawmaker Supriyadin said the government should leave the number of eligible nationalities at 90 and evaluate the benefits after two or more years before adding the remaining 79 other countries to the list.

"We have to evaluate whether an increase in the total number of foreign arrivals is indeed because of the free-visa policy and not just because of the holiday season," Supriyadin said.

If the findings are significant, Supriyadin said, the concern then moved to security aspects, including the risk of foreign agents entering Indonesia and the making of counterfeit passports and ID cards.

"Besides, Indonesia and other cooperating countries should have mutual respect and benefits. We shouldn't just apply this because of the reciprocal principle," Supriyadin said.

Previously, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Panjaitan said the government would add up to 169 nationalities to the list of beneficiaries of free visas as stipulated in a presidential regulation.

Even though the number would increase, the government could strengthen security first and not include nationalities that had the potential to traffic drugs and disseminate radical beliefs, Luhut added. (dan)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/02/15/lawmakers-object-free-visa-policy-expansion.html