Jambi-Batam with Fokker-28

Jambi-Batam with Fokker-28

JAKARTA (JP): State-owned Merpati Nusantara Airlines plans to
operate Fokker F-28s on the Jambi to Batam, Riau, route to take
advantage of the abolition of exit taxes within the Indonesia-
Malaysia-Singapore Growth Triangle effective as of Monday.

Merpati's district manager, Max Mandagi, said in Jambi that
the air carrier will link Jambi and Batam with F-28 jets every
Wednesday and Saturday starting Nov. 16.

Merpati currently operates CN-235 aircraft on the Jambi-Batam
daily route, Antara news agency reported yesterday.

Riau is one of the country's eighteen provinces that make up
the three subregional economic cooperation areas or growth
triangles, which link all ASEAN countries except Vietnam. These
areas are the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle, the
Indonesia-Malaysia-Singapore Growth Triangle and the Brunei-
Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area.

The exit tax exemption in these economic cooperation areas was
stated in Government Regulation No. 57/1996. The exit taxes are
Rp 250,000 (US$107) for travelers leaving the country by plane
and Rp 100,000 for those traveling by ship. (icn)