Alcohol Import Tax up to 150%

Getting where? Thats not good news for importers and business or consumers.

But this is great:

http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/n … ch-public/

and this

http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/n … ad-of-hiv/

and this

http://jakarta.coconuts.co/2015/07/23/n … -indonesia

Just saying

My favorite article is the "coconuts" one.

With all those new regulations implemented by the Ministry of Manpower it will be extremely difficult getting a job.

Let's see what is coming next

I unsure what good cheap cigs are if you can't smoke after sex.
The booze prices aren't going to do ugly women's chances of a good night a lot of good either.

happyhour wrote:

My favorite article is the "coconuts" one.

With all those new regulations implemented by the Ministry of Manpower it will be extremely difficult getting a job.

Let's see what is coming next

I'm very pro Indonesia, and I want to see Indonesia be the best it can be.

Improvements to Indonesia's businesses help everyone from businessmen, the very rich, right down to the lowest paid workers in their industry.
Much of that relies on improving those industries, commonly meaning bringing foreign expertise to advise on how to meet export standards, or just sell the products abroad.
We all remember the total rubbish that used to come out of Japan and HK many years ago, that's what  Indonesia can avoid .... with the right help.
It took years for those countries to get rid of their "Plastic rubbish" reputations, something my lovely Indonesia can avoid getting in the first place, if they get the right help.

To English teachers.
Places that scrapped English, HK and Malaysia come to mind, ended up with a crisis. Japan can't find pilots, HK can't find people to work in banks, and Malaysia had problems finding English speakers to work in the golden triangle.
Indonesia MUST avoid that, and that means bringing native speakers in to get the standard as high possible.
I want Indonesia to be truly "Raya", and foreign workers can help make this reality.

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid= … &hl=enhttp://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009 … ience.html

They're loosing their English skills, and that's leading to problems.

http://www.eltnews.com/news/archives/20 … risis.html

In 1970, the Malaysian government began requiring all state-funded schools to use Malay to teach, to build nationalism; though English remained a compulsory subject.

Many English teachers were phased out.

Over the years, students' academic performances declined.

I love Indonesia, so I really don't want to see the same mistakes as HK and Malaysia, but that's the path they're heading down.

I agree very much with this. But what can we do to make this happen? Is it possible for Expat.com to arrange a meeting with the government so we can explain to them how they are destroying our adopted country? We can show them how Japan and Malaysia and Hong Kong have failed and that they are heading in the same direction unless they allow English speaking (and maybe french speaking too) nationals to show them how to run their country properly.

I also want to see Indonesia get better and more prosperous. Is it time for us expats to show them how it should be done?

But for me, I prefer to just enjoy the country and let the Indonesians develop Indonesia in their own way. If Indonesia makes so many changes then maybe we will not enjoy it so much. Do we really want to see so many foreign people working here? As we are mostly just guests in their country then I feel we are nobody here and should allow them to develop in their own way. Indonesia is not a country that requires guidance from Expat.comgers. We should just enjoy the country and let them do things the way they wish to do them.

"Do we really want to see so many foreign people working here?"

My answer is no, but on the other hand we do have to recognize the need for some foreign investment to enable Indonesia to grow.  The challenge is to find that middle ground. IMHO, one doesn't find that middle ground by swinging from one extreme to the other, and that is all too often the reality of how Indonesia operates.     

As for the increase in imported alcohol, I see that from my usual point of view of making silk purses from sow's ears.

In other words, this should greatly benefit local producers of alcoholic beverages.   

That is a good point.

I think that what most of us love about our adopted home of Indonesia is that it is not developing fast like other Asian countries. It moves at a slower pace I think that many of us foreigners like this. In fact, if it became more of an English speaking country like Singapore or Malaysia, then would we really like that? And foreign investment is important for development but then it must be very controlled. It is just my opinion and I am certainly not expert in any of this.