APINDO Presses Batu City Government on Tourism Tax Reduction
Friday, 15 August 2025
BATU CITY — The Chairman of the Indonesian Employers Association (APINDO) Batu City, Suryo Widodo, has once again urged the Batu City Government to respond to a proposal to lower tourism and hospitality taxes.
The proposal was submitted as a measure to mitigate the impact of budget efficiency policies. As of Friday (August 15, 2025), two months after his initial statement, the request for tax reduction has yet to receive an official response.
Suryo emphasized that a temporary tax reduction could help maintain consumer purchasing power while also preventing layoffs in the tourism sector.
“We are requesting a reduction in tax payments due to budget efficiency measures, but to this day there has been no response. We also suggest that the government develop integrated software connected to tourist destinations,” Suryo stated.
According to him, such a system would allow the Batu City Government to track visitor data in real time. Taxes could then be adjusted accordingly, while providing transparent statistics on tourist visits at each destination.
Suryo revealed that tourist arrivals in Batu City have declined compared to last year. He attributed the downturn to budget efficiency policies, which have significantly reduced government officials’ meetings in cafés, hotels, and restaurants.
In addition, the emergence of new competitors in the tourism sector has further eroded revenue, particularly impacting larger-scale businesses.
“We need swift action. If left unchecked, this sector could lose its competitiveness,” he concluded.
Suryo Widodo reiterated his expectation that the Batu City Government implement a temporary tax reduction to safeguard purchasing power and prevent layoffs.
Source: www.beritasatu.com
