The Bali authorities will expel foreign tourists who pay with cryptocurrency in hotels, restaurants, tourist centers, shops and other places, according to the Indonesian publication Antara. Cryptocurrencies are not prohibited in the country, but from 2021 they cannot be used as a means of payment.
“Foreign tourists who behave inappropriately, violate visa restrictions and other regulations, and use cryptocurrency as a means of payment will be severely punished,” said Bali Governor Wayan Coster at a Bali tourism promotion press conference.
He stressed that in Indonesia it is forbidden to use any currency other than the local rupee as a means of payment. Violation of the law is punishable by imprisonment for a term of 1 to 5 years, as well as a fine of 50 million rupees ($3.3 thousand) to 22 billion rupees ($1.4 million).
Tourists can be deported, violators also face administrative and criminal penalties, the closure of commercial premises, bans on payment transactions and other harsh sanctions, Coster said.
Source: Rosbalt
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