When I asked the local dive shop owner about it he said that he was unable to find any local Acehnese dive instructors who speak the same language as his clients from abroad. As far as I know I have only met one local dive instructor who speaks English and he left a long time ago to work in Phuket, Thailand.

Indonesians dive instructors from outside Aceh in general don't want to work in Pulau Weh for many reasons. It's very difficult for immigration officials to catch these illegal dive instructors without solid evidence.

Another issue is that if the local dive shops bother to train local Pulau Weh residents to become dive instructors, sooner or later most of them seek employment elsewhere in Indonesia or abroad where the standard of living is much better.

If the Indonesian government would simplify the work permit procedure like in Malaysia, these foreign dive instructors could work legally and pay taxes just like anyone else. Malaysia - as well other ASEAN countries and the Western world - don't have discriminating rules for companies who wish to employ foreigners as experts and don't force them to pay US$1,200 for an annual work permit.

Do countries outside Indonesia have to pay $1,200 per year to hire an Indonesian national who is looking for employment in that country? The answer is no.

With such a high visa fee, Indonesia will deny itself the benefit of foreign assistance and knowledge that Malaysia is constantly exposed to. In order to attract foreign investment a country must make foreigners feel welcome.

This applies to any country around the world. In the Netherlands a foreign husband or wife of a Dutch national is allowed to seek legal employment after two years living in that country. In Indonesia, a foreign husband or wife of an Indonesian national who lives in Indonesia will never automatically receive a work permit after two years living here.

This means they therefore never need to pay taxes, so many foreigners set up businesses in Indonesia under their Indonesian spouses name.

But I am sure that most foreigners who use this legal gap would prefer to work openly and pay taxes instead of "hiding" behind their spouse and not pay taxes at all. Foreigners "stealing jobs" is still a popular topic in Indonesia for the wrong reasons.

Do foreigners living in Indonesian cities feel welcome when visiting the local immigration office for their visa matters? Or when they visited the government offices for permits? Or when they are being ripped off by Indonesians who suddenly double the price for groceries in the market? Do these things happen to Indonesians who go to Western countries?

Nowadays even the only 5 star hotel in Banda Aceh is being guarded by police with heavy weapons. Perhaps necessary, but a very awful way to welcome guests from abroad.

By the way, since the Helsinki Peace Accord in August 2005, Aceh has been completely safe for foreign tourists.

Some former Free Aceh Movement (GAM) combatants have even opened some of their hidden jungle trails in the Banda Aceh area for foreign and even national tourists.

Teuku Agam
Banda Aceh

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