Passport demand soars in Bogor<\/p>\n
BOGOR (JP): The number of passport applications here has
\nincreased significantly in the past two months, an immigration
\nofficial said on Monday.<\/p>\n
A senior official at the Bogor immigration office, Yusron,
\nbelieved the increase was probably due to the government's plan
\nto hike the tariff for processing passports by 87.5 percent to
\n400 percent in line with the enactment of Law No. 20\/1997 on the
\nstate's non-tax income.<\/p>\n
Bogor's immigration office issued 1,142 passports in June,
\n1,543 passports in July and 1,445 last month, he said.<\/p>\n
Yusron insisted the rise in the number of people applying for
\npassports was unrelated to a predicted mass exodus abroad amid
\nrumored unrest during the General Session of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR) in November.<\/p>\n
Processing costs for a regular 48-page passport will increase
\nfrom Rp 75,000 to Rp 200,000.<\/p>\n
It will cost Rp 340,000 to process a passport for two people
\nor more in a family, up from only Rp 100,000 previously.<\/p>\n
The cost of processing a 24-page passport will triple from Rp
\n25,000 to Rp 75,000; 24-page family passports will increase from
\nRp 40,000 to Rp 75,000.<\/p>\n
Yusron said that no East Timorese natives submitted passport
\napplications.<\/p>\n
\"Most of them (East Timorese) are staying in Jakarta. Only a
\nfew of them live here.\"<\/p>\n
The government justified the rise in passport processing costs
\non the grounds that there was no increase in four years.<\/p>\n
The immigration directorate general has contributed greatly to
\nstate income over the last three years due to the rising number
\nof passport and other immigration documents processed. (21\/edt)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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