In Reply to: Duty Free posted by paraminis on Thursday, 10. March 2011 at 09:10 Bali Time:
I wouldn't try this in Australia and I don't feel that I'm "above these rules".
In Australia, if you try the system on and get caught they are very clear on the penalty......full payment of duty on all items brought in. But in Australia they have a more generous allowance of 2.25 litres per person and I haven't felt the need to exceed that just yet.
In Bali, it's because they're all bent that I know I can get away with it if I want to try it on.
Don't forget it's the greedy Indonesian government that taxes the hell out of wines so that ordinary folk can't afford to drink wine in restaurants when on holidays. Who wants to pay $60+ for a bottle of crap Aussie barby wine and $100+ for something half decent when they go out for dinner every night. If they charged a reasonable price for wine, then maybe visitors wouldn't bother trying to sneak it in.
Not to mention whacking us with USD25 to get into the country and then another IDR150,000 to get back out again. But that's another story.
Their attitude seems to be "rich foreigner want to come to Bali, you pay". The worst thing is that the Balinese don't even see any of this extra revenue, it all goes to Jakarta.
Do you think airport officials might be thinking "Hey, I want some of this action too" and so the cycle continues.
So in the meantime I guess I'll just have to pay.
But if I want to try and stretch my 'hard-earned holiday dollar' just a little further knowing that I can, then I will.