A TOURISM EXPERT from Jenderal Soedirman University (Unsoed) Chusmeru said that the KPK’s findings regarding illegal levies (pungli) worth IDR 18.25 billion in Raja Ampat, West Papua indicated the absence of clear regulations regarding tourism management in the region.
“With clear regulations, tourism management in the regions will run according to the rules. However, this is the opposite,” he told Media Indonesia, Sunday (14/7).
According to him, there must be clear provisions, for example regarding the division of investment between investors, the government, and the community. Including regulations on hotel and restaurant taxes (PHR), official boat rental levies, entrance tickets to tourist attractions, and so on. The government is asked to create a tourism roadmap in regional tourist locations such as Raja Ampat, so that there is a clear vision and mission for tourism development.
Another problem that Chusmeru touched on was the unprofessional and non-transparent management of tourism in the region, resulting in rampant extortion.
“Transparency is also important in tourism management. Where and for what does the levy money go? Is it to be deposited to the local government or to the community?” he said.
On the one hand, he considered extortion in Raja Ampat as an attitude of the community who felt that the land and sea that were the object of tourism management belonged to them. The extortion was carried out by the community once morest tourists. Tourist boats that would go to diving locations in Raja Ampat were asked to pay IDR 100 thousand to IDR 1 million. In addition, there were also land payments that were charged by the community to hotels that stood on the islands.
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“They feel they have rights to the natural resources in that area,” he added.
Chusmeru said extortion would not occur if the community was involved in the tourism development process. He said tourism development in several regions often became government and investor projects, without involving the community.
“So, the community wants to fight over the tourism cake,” he concluded. (Z-8)
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