Jakarta (ANTARA) - Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno has asked tourism business players, especially entertainment or leisure service providers, to not worry about the 40 percent to 75 percent increase in entertainment tax.

"Don't worry, the government comes up with policies that are favorable (to tourism business actors)," he said during "The Weekly Brief with Sandi Uno" here on Monday.

He assured that the government's policies aim to empower business actors in the tourism and creative economy industries, and not shut them down.

"We ensure that our policies will empower tourism and the creative economy industry players, not turn them off," he said.

Head of the Bali Tourism Office Tjok Bagus Pemayun said that spa business owners, especially from Bali, who feel burdened by the increase in entertainment tax, can submit a letter of objection to the local district/city governments.

"We ask to also submit the objection letter to the governor (of Bali), so from this, the governor can encourage the district/city governments to pay attention to the objections of spa entrepreneurs," Pemayun added.

Earlier, the Indonesian Tourism Industry Board (GIPI) of Bali said that a number of spa business owners had submitted a judicial review to the Constitutional Court regarding the article regulating tax rates and its classification in Law No. 1 of 2022.

"The spa entrepreneurs have submitted a judicial review to the Constitutional Court. Hopefully, this (tax increase) can be postponed," GIPI Bali chairperson Ida Bagus Agung Parta Adnyana said in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Thursday (January 11, 2024).

Meanwhile, secretary of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association (PHRI) - Bali, Perry Markus, informed that the judicial review had been received by the Constitutional Court on Friday (January 5).

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