There might be better places to use your favorite crypto as payment than the beautiful Indonesian island of Bali.The government of Bali has recently raised its attempts to discourage visitors from using cryptos as payment, stressing that only the country’s fiat currency will recognize as legal money.
According to the news agency Antara, Governor Wayan Koster reportedly sent out a strong message, warning that those who persist in using digital money as a means of payment will be subject to severe penalties. This action highlights the government’s unwavering commitment to protecting the monetary status quo in Indonesia.
No Crypto: Legal consequences for foreign ourists
The government of Bali is cracking down hard on tourists who choose to pay for things with Bitcoin. They are reminding people that only the Indonesian rupiah is the legal currency in the country. Those who break this rule could go to jail for up to a year and have to pay a fine of up to 200 million rupiah, which is about $13,300.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, more than 6 million foreign tourists visited Bali. Many people paid for hotels, restaurants, and tourist spots and buy with crypto.
Koster talked about this problem at a tourism development press conference on Sunday. He stressed the consequences that will happen to foreign tourists who act up, break the rules of their visa permits, pays with crypto, or violate other laws. The governor’s comments show that the government is determined to keep the rupiah as Indonesia’s only official form of currency.
At the press conference, Bali Police Chief Inspector General Putu Jayan Danu Putra and several other people interested in tourism growth and enforcing rules were present. Indonesia has tight currency restrictions, with fines or jail for using money other than the rupiah.
Additionally, Foreign exchange firms also warned. Those who operate without permission from the county’s official bank face prison time and a $1.4 million fine. Some people in the crypto community said that the ban “makes sense,” while others said they wouldn’t revisit the popular tourist spot.
On Reddit, a community member said that how businesses and users pay should be up to them. The Redditor continues to say that if both parties are ready to take the risks of using crypto as payment, the transactions should be allowed to go forward.
On the other hand, another Reddit user thinks that the ban is good for Indonesia. The community member said that the country’s currency is up by money from tourists. This keeps the value of the coin stable. Even so, the Redditor said they disagreed with the ban.
Bali’s Governor targets crypto firms
The recent decision by the governor of Bali was a direct response to an in-depth investigative report in Kompas, which is thought widely as the best newspaper in the country. The story sheds light on a worrying trend by saying that several businesses in Bali accepted crypto payments.
There were apparently cafes with crypto-related themes, meditation centers that welcomed crypto payments, and even a company that rented out motorcycles and accepted crypto as payment.
The use of cryptos as legal tender remains prohibited despite their ownership and exchange not being illegal in Indonesia. However, the report’s findings suggested that people in Bali disregarded this prohibition.
The report’s assertions gain support from data from Coinmap, a community-driven effort that tries to map out companies accepting cryptos. There are already 36 businesses in Bali that accept cryptos as payment, according to their research.
The island of Bali relies heavily on the tourism industry. According to studies, tourist revenue accounts for over 28% of Bali’s GDP. The local economy benefits because more opportunities and jobs are made available. This indicates that a decline in revenue may occur if tourists quit visiting the country.
