Govt to raise pasport fee

JAKARTA: The government plans to build 25 lighthouses this year to assert its control of the nation's outlying islands, Minister of Transportation Hatta Radjasa said on Tuesday.

"The lighthouses are not only meant for sea navigation but will also mark Indonesia's sovereignty in those particular waters," he said at the presidential office.

He added the ministry would have to allocate between Rp 40 billion to Rp 50 billion (US$5.43 million) to finance the project.

The plan comes amid an ongoing border dispute between Indonesia and Malaysia over a deep-water oil field, the Ambalat Block, in the Sulawesi Sea. The two countries last week sent warships to the area, although they have recently agreed to resolve the dispute through talks. -- JP