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More than 3,600 ships operating illegally in Labuan Bajo, authorities reveal
The unauthorized tourist ships do not pay taxes for operating in Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara.
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Labuan Bajo harbor in East Nusa Tenggara. (JP/Markus Makur)
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uthorities in West Manggarai regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) have found around 3,600 unauthorized tourist ships operating in Labuan Bajo.
West Manggarai Tourism Agency head Agustinus Rinus said the illegal ships, most of which are traditional phinisi (two-masted schooners), had been earning money in the tourist destination without paying taxes to the local administration.
Of 4,081 ships inspected between February and July, only about 400 ships carried proper documentation and were registered to the local administration. The inspection was carried out by officials from the West Manggarai administration and Komodo National Park in Labuan Bajo.
“Most ships operating without permits come from outside the province,” Agustinus said on Tuesday, as quoted by tempo.co.
Read also: Labuan Bajo offers free entry to tourist sites to lure visitors amid pandemic
He added his office was still looking on more ships.
Agustinus went on to say the inspection as well as the ship registration would have a positive impact on hotels and restaurants operating in the area. After the inspection, the hotels’ occupancy rate had increased from 40 to 67 percent.
“There are more people staying at the hotels and dining in the restaurants [thanks to the registration]. The amount of taxes filed by the hotel and restaurant is also increasing significantly,” said Agustinus, adding that Labuan Bajo accounted for 75 percent of total tourism in the regency. (nal)
