Govt to raise pasport fee

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