WordWartaGlobal Investigative Report | Bali, Indonesia
BALI — How long will Bali remain a destination where businesses can expand using investment capital while serious questions remain about legal compliance, local employment protection, taxation, and immigration oversight?
Allegations surrounding the business activities associated with House of Om Bali have raised a number of questions that deserve transparent answers from the company and the relevant authorities.
Among the issues requiring verification are the alleged involvement of foreign nationals in teaching activities and business operations, the legality of their immigration status, and whether their employment activities comply with Indonesian regulations.
This is not simply a matter of competition between local and foreign business operators. It concerns legal accountability, economic fairness, and the future of Bali's local workforce.
PREVIOUS DEPORTATION: HOW COULD THE INDIVIDUAL RETURN TO CONDUCT BUSINESS?
One of the first issues requiring clarification concerns information about the alleged previous deportation of an individual associated with these business activities.
If a deportation did take place, what legal grounds allowed that person to subsequently re-enter Indonesia?
Was an immigration ban imposed? Had any restriction period expired? What is the individual's current immigration status?
Deportation is a formal immigration enforcement measure and should not be treated as an insignificant administrative matter.
The Directorate General of Immigration should clarify the matter if there are indications of inconsistencies between an individual's immigration history and their current business activities.
Any conclusion, however, must be based on official immigration records and verifiable documents.
INVESTOR VISA OR ACTIVE BUSINESS OPERATIONS?
Another important question concerns the alleged use of an investor residence permit by an individual reportedly involved in directly managing business operations.
The fundamental question is whether the actual activities being performed are consistent with the permitted activities and applicable immigration regulations.
Investor status must not be interpreted as automatic authorization to undertake every form of employment or operational activity.
Immigration authorities and labor agencies should examine the company's corporate documents, shareholding structure, management positions, work authorization documents, and the actual responsibilities performed by the individuals involved.
DOZENS OF FOREIGN YOGA INSTRUCTORS: WHERE ARE THEIR WORK PERMITS?
Information concerning the alleged recruitment of dozens of foreign yoga instructors also requires serious examination.
Do all foreign instructors possess the appropriate immigration and employment documentation?
Has the company fulfilled its obligations concerning the employment of foreign workers under Indonesian law?
Which authorities are responsible for monitoring these activities?
Bali's local professionals should not become spectators in an industry they have helped develop over many years.
Local yoga instructors have the right to fair employment opportunities, professional protection, and equal treatment under the law.
International collaboration can benefit Bali, but it must take place within a transparent and lawful regulatory framework.
WHERE IS THE REPORTED IDR 10 BILLION INVESTMENT?
Another issue that deserves public clarification concerns questions about the relationship between the business's reported revenue-generating capacity, its actual investment realization, and its shareholding structure.
Indonesian investment and immigration regulations establish specific requirements for foreign investors, depending on the company's classification, the investor's position, share ownership, and the applicable regulatory framework.
Therefore, the reported IDR 10 billion investment figure should not remain merely a public talking point.
The relevant questions include:
- How much investment capital has actually been realized?
- What percentage of the company's shares is held by each investor?
- Does the company's ownership structure correspond with its official licensing documents?
- Is there any discrepancy between registered capital and actual investment realization?
- Are the company's operational activities consistent with its business licenses?
Investment should not be measured solely through promotional claims. It must be supported by documentation, verifiable financial information, and legal compliance.
TAX COMPLIANCE MUST NOT BECOME A BLIND SPOT IN BALI'S TOURISM INDUSTRY
Tax compliance is another issue that deserves attention.
If the business generates substantial revenue, as suggested by claims circulating publicly, how are its tax obligations being fulfilled?
Are all revenues properly reported? Are business transactions, service payments, and corporate tax liabilities accurately recorded?
The Directorate General of Taxes should examine the matter if credible indications of non-compliance emerge.
However, allegations of tax avoidance must not be presented as established facts without an official examination or supporting evidence.
The public has a legitimate interest in ensuring that businesses operating on a significant commercial scale comply with their tax obligations.
LOCAL YOGA INSTRUCTORS MUST BE PROTECTED, NOT MARGINALIZED
Bali is more than an international tourism destination. It is also home to local communities whose knowledge, skills, and entrepreneurial efforts have contributed to the development of the island's wellness and yoga industries.
Local instructors, trainers, small business owners, studio operators, and community organizations have all played a role in building this sector.
If foreign instructors are found to be working without the required legal authorization, while qualified local professionals are losing employment opportunities, the matter deserves serious government attention.
Investment should create employment, strengthen local capabilities, encourage knowledge transfer, and contribute to regional economic development.
It should not create unequal opportunities or undermine the position of local workers.
WARTAGLOBAL CALLS FOR TRANSPARENT REGULATORY OVERSIGHT
WartaGlobal urges the relevant government institutions to conduct examinations within their respective legal authorities:
- Directorate General of Immigration: Verify immigration records, residence permit status, and whether foreign nationals' actual activities comply with their immigration permissions.
- Ministry of Manpower and Bali Manpower Office: Examine foreign-worker employment documentation and compliance with labor regulations.
- Directorate General of Taxes: Review tax compliance if credible indications of irregularities are identified.
- Ministry of Investment and Downstreaming/BKPM: Examine investment realization, company ownership, and consistency with official licensing records.
- Badung Regency Government and Bali Provincial Government: Ensure that business operations comply with applicable business licenses and regional regulations.
The objective should not be to obstruct legitimate investment. It should be to ensure that every business operating in Bali is subject to the same legal standards.
PUBLIC QUESTIONS: WHO IS MONITORING BUSINESS ACTIVITIES IN BALI?
If all required documents are complete, the company should have the opportunity to explain its compliance through an appropriate and lawful clarification process.
If all foreign workers possess the required authorization, the relevant authorities should be able to verify their legal status.
If the investment has been realized, the company's ownership structure and investment information should be examined through the proper regulatory channels.
If tax obligations have been fulfilled, the competent tax authority can establish compliance through its official procedures.
And if no violations are identified, the company and the individuals concerned must be given the opportunity to respond and defend their position.
Bali is not opposed to investment. Bali is not opposed to foreign nationals. International cooperation and responsible foreign investment can contribute significantly to tourism development and the regional economy.
However, one principle must remain unquestionable: there must be no double standards in the enforcement of Indonesian law between local and foreign business operators.
Local communities must not be left watching while economic opportunities in their own region become increasingly difficult to access.
Investment is welcome. Business expansion is welcome. International cooperation is welcome.
But the law must stand above every commercial interest.
BALI IS NOT A LAWLESS BUSINESS DESTINATION. RESPECT THE LAW, PROTECT LOCAL WORKERS, AND DEMONSTRATE INVESTMENT COMPLIANCE!
EDITORIAL NOTE:
This report presents questions and allegations that require further verification. WartaGlobal has not concluded that House of Om Bali or any individuals associated with the business have committed legal violations.
The company, the individuals concerned, and the relevant government institutions are invited to provide clarification and exercise their right of reply.
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