Calls for Clearer Oversight of Foreign Visitors in Kuta
MANGUPURA, NusaBali.com – As thousands of foreign tourists continue to visit Kuta every day, local authorities say the system for monitoring foreign nationals still needs clearer coordination to ensure effective implementation on the ground. Overlapping responsibilities between government agencies are considered a key challenge in handling issues involving foreign visitors in one of Bali’s busiest tourism areas.
Kuta Sub-district Secretary Made Agus Suantara said village leaders and neighborhood officers frequently report difficulties when dealing with administrative matters related to foreigners. He noted that there remains a common assumption among the public and some frontline officials that all cases involving foreign nationals automatically fall under the authority of immigration.
“In reality, responsibilities depend on the type of violation,” Agus Suantara said on Monday (1/12). “If it concerns local regulations, it is handled by the Civil Service Police Unit (Satpol PP). Criminal cases are handled by the police, while population administration issues fall under the authority of village or neighborhood officials. In practice, this can be confusing and needs clearer coordination.”
According to him, the lack of clearly defined roles often causes delays or complications in handling cases at the field level. Inter-agency coordination, especially in joint monitoring operations, also needs to be strengthened.
Agus Suantara added that local officers sometimes face challenges when conducting direct data collection of foreign visitors, including communication barriers. He explained that the process is generally more effective when immigration officers are present to provide support and clarification.
For this reason, he encouraged stronger collaboration and regular joint operations involving immigration authorities, particularly during inspections and data-recording activities. Such cooperation, he said, is necessary to ensure accurate documentation of foreign visitors and to minimize misunderstandings regarding enforcement authority.
He also highlighted the importance of the Foreigner Supervision Application (APOA), a mandatory digital reporting system used by accommodation providers to register foreign guests. While APOA is part of Indonesia’s administrative compliance framework, many operators remain insufficiently informed about their obligations.
“APOA is an administrative requirement, similar to population registration. There are penalties for failing to report,” he stressed. “We don’t want accommodation providers to face fines simply because they were not aware of the rules. Public outreach and education need to be intensified.”
With clearer responsibilities and stronger coordination between agencies, Agus Suantara expressed hope that the monitoring of foreign visitors in Kuta can be improved—supporting Bali’s commitment to maintaining a safe, orderly, and comfortable environment for international tourists. *ris
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