Indonesia has a new president, Joko Widodo who, for the yachting fraternity, seems to be getting all his ducks In a row. A newspaper article published the other day stated, quote "the government will expedite permitting for yachts wanting to enter the country's ports, from taking weeks to taking one day only, with an online one-stop service protocol ...... The government is also planning to lengthen the time yacht permits would remain valid from a period of six months to a whole year of multiple entries." unquote.
For any yacht planning to travel through Indonesia, this is excellent news. Currently, the red tape is a nightmare, a costly frustrating series of bureaucracy that is a major deterrent when one compares the simplicity in entering neighbouring Malaysia. No wonder Malaysia has abundant marinas whereas Indonesia has barely any.
So, yes, this is indeed very welcoming news. We have been pulled through the mill and back again trying to extend both our personal visas and the CAIT form for our boat which must be done on a monthly basis. Now, let's wait to see how long it takes prior to its implementation. Knowing our luck, it'll probably only come into affect the moment we move on but it certainly augurs well for the future.
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