Martial Dosda was born in 1960 in Sarrebourg, France and
grew up in Strasbourg. His mother died when he was five, so
he spent much of his childhood alone. He remembers the harsh
discipline he experienced from ages 9 to 19 in a Jesuit college
in Alsace. Martial graduated from the University Louis Pasteur
in Strasbourg in 1987 and became a financial and insurance
consultant and professional negotiator. He presently works
as an investment consultant and operates the @HIGHWAY™
internet café on Ubud’s main street.
What are your hobbies?
Driving my Mercedes Benz - but not in Bali because of the
insane traffic. I also like reading, and I lift weights five
times a week.
How many languages do you speak?
French, German, English and Indonesian, all fluently.
Why and how did you first become interested in Bali?
I visited Indonesia first in 1998. I wanted to feel what a
financial crisis was like close up. I eventually married an
Indonesian woman and settled down in the country to escape
the tax pressure and the grey weather of France.
What kind of work are you involved in now?
I am doing things that most people do not want to do. I sell
health insurance products with world wide coverage. I also
help secure acquisitions and work as a Bali investment protection
counselor. My wife runs an immigration agency and soon will
be a Master in Law. I also have the utmost confidence in the
future of the Internet and we own the fastest Internet café
in Bali. The soul of @HIGHWAY™, my soul, is rapid innovation.
Are there any peculiar characteristics about running a business
in Bali?
It’s not difficult running a business here. Ceremonies
of all kinds and for all religions slow down all business
activities, but I use these respites to give me time to think.
On Bali, I feel I can maintain a healthy disregard for the
impossible.
Which nationalities do you work with mostly?
Europeans, Indonesians and Americans. The nationalities most
drawn to starting up a businesses here are first Indonesians,
then French, Americans and the Japanese.
What are the most common pitfalls foreign businesspeople on
Bali fall prey to?
They do not follow Articles 52 and 53 of the Immigration Code.
In other words, their visas do not conform to what they are
really doing here and they get caught. I also advise most
foreigners to rent property here, not buy. Why buy when you
can get a lease for 100 years?
What Indonesian laws do foreigners most often break?
The immigration laws as well as land acquisition rules and
regulations. They also often “forget” to pay their
taxes.
Can you give any examples of clients who have suffered because
of lack of knowledge or experience?
I could give you hundreds of examples. I don’t wish
my customers to suffer, only perhaps when I present my honorary
bill. The most common visa violation is working on a tourist
visa. I advise my clients to buy just a business visa or create
a company and then sponsor him or her self. This is easier
than most people think and it’s relatively affordable.
What kinds of companies or businesses started by foreigners
turn out to be the most successful?
Spas, restaurants, delis, libraries, publishing, writing,
import- export. Foreigners work well in these pursuits because
we have the right mindset.
What is the main difference between the way that foreigners
and Indonesians operate businesses?
Indonesians think in circles while foreigners think in squares.
Because I work with both groups all the time, my way of thinking
has become pentagonal.
What help do your Indonesian clients usually seek?
My Indonesian clients are judges, advocates, notaries, as
well as businesspeople who most often seek my advice when
employing expatriates or when they enter into contracts with
foreigners or companies.
What’s the most frequent reason why foreign-operated
businesses fail on Bali?
The foreign businessman does not build a solid legal structure.
He also frequently hires incompetent consultants.
What are the most important changes in the new marriage law?
Foreigners who are legally married to an Indonesian national
may apply for a visa called KITAS Ikut Istri/Suami which follows
(ikut) their wife or husband. The foreigner will then have
residence status. Is this an improvement in terms of human
rights? Not exactly, as the foreign husband or wife cannot
work with such a visa. However, they can marry at an old age
and eventually retire here. I also recommend a prenuptial
agreement even though my wife and I do not have one. She is
richer than me...
What’s the main reason why marriages between foreigners
and Indonesians end in separation or divorce?
Maybe cuisine. I literally run away from my house when my
wife prepares her hot spicy food. I call it Zyklon.These dishes
can most definitely annihilate a marriage contract.
Do you have any future plans?
I am 47 and I’m already preparing to retire and become
financially independent. I want a sharper, more unique mind,
but still at peace with myself.
Where can readers learn more about your work?
Check out our website:
www.baliconsultant.com or come by @Highway,
Jl. Raya Ubud (50 meters from the central Post Office) in
Ubud, tel. (0361) 972107,
email: email@baliconsultant.com
For anyone interested in being considered for Siapa, please
contact: <pakbill2003@yahoo.com>
