| Illegal
Marine Tour Operators
Tempo Interaktif reported that many illegal marine tour
Operators Owned by Foreign Parties with Indonesia Fronts.
Reported by Tempo Interaktif, Yos K. Amerta , Bali Chairman
of the Association of Marine Tourism Operators (Gahawisri),
as saying that there are "tens" of illegal marine
tourism operators in Bali. Many of these illegal operations,
according to Amerta, are owned by foreigners and represent
a number he expects to grow with the increasing popularity
of "borrowing" the name of a local as a front for
their businesses.
Amerta told Tempo that there are presently around 200 marine
tourism operators in Bali of which 10% or 20 operators without
the required operating licenses. "And these are only
those we’ve detected," added Amerta.
The Gahawisri Chairman for Bali said coordinating efforts
are now underway with the Provincial Tourism Authority in
Bali to bring the illegal operators into line. At the same
time, Amerta confessed that both Gahawisri and the government
are being thwarted in their enforcement efforts due to practices
in which illegal foreign operators are shielding behind local
counterparts acting as business fronts.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the National office of Gahawisri,
Feisol Hashim freely admitted that many marine tourism operations
in Indonesia are controlled by foreigners. "What's ironic,"
said Feisol, "is that many operate illegally. In Bunaken
(Manado), for example, 90 percent of marine operations are
foreign owned."
Fesiol also admitted the difficulties of controlling operation
run by foreigners who have married a local resident.
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