KITAS

Here I am once again in the annual KITAS (foreign resident permit) season, and as always it is a pain in the ass. Every year, numerous redundant and generally unnecessary documents must be collected and sent through my agent to imigrasi in Jakarta. And of course a hefty fee must be paid. Moreover, my motorbike permit also needs to be renewed, and this year the plates will need to be changed as well. Sigh. All of this takes time and money and does not know the meaning of the word 'streamlined'. It is, in short, a lot of bureaucratic red tape meant to employ as many people as possible (which it does succeed in doing quite nicely).