Huge hike in works for passport fees

JAKARTA (JP): The government is scheduled to raise the price of passports by an average of between 87.5 percent and 400 percent starting on June 7 in line with the enactment of Law No.20/1997 on state nontax income, an official said on Tuesday.

"The increase is stipulated in Government Regulation No. 26/1999 on tariffs of state nontax income at the Ministry of Justice," Immigration Director General M. Mudakir said.

For Indonesian individuals, Mudakir explained that the charge for processing an ordinary 48-page passport would increase by 166 percent from Rp 75,000 to Rp 200,000.

"Processing an ordinary 48-page family passport for two people or more will cost Rp 340,000, up from only Rp 100,000 previously," he said.

The cost for processing an ordinary 24-page passport will be raised by 200 percent from Rp 25,000 to Rp 75,000, while ordinary 24-page family passports will increase by 87.5 percent from Rp 40,000 to Rp 75,000, he said.

Mudakir said the highest increase was 400 percent imposed on Indonesian passports for stateless applicants from Rp 100,000 to Rp 500,000.

The cost for a passport for two stateless people or more will increase by 400 percent from Rp 125,000 to Rp 625,000, he said.

"The decision to raise processing costs was taken as they have increased over the last four years," he said.

Mudakir said the directorate general contributed greatly to the state income over the last three years due to the rising number of passport and other immigration documents processed.

The directorate general currently operates at least 84 immigration offices throughout the country, he said.

"Amid the economic crisis the directorate general contributes handsomely to the state income," he said.

He quoted data at his office as saying that in 1995/1996 its contribution reached Rp 73.3 billion, rising to Rp 82.5 billion in 1997/1998 and Rp 92.5 billion in 1998/1999.

Under the new tariff increase, the 1999/2000 figure is projected to reach Rp 181 billion, he said. (hhr)