Photo image used to make passports

JAKARTA (JP): Immigration offices in Jakarta started using photo imaging yesterday for the processing of new passports in a bid to prevent forgery, an official said.

Moh. Iman Santoso, the coordinator of immigration affairs at the Jakarta office of the Ministry of Justice, said the new technique had been introduced at West, South, Central, North and East Jakarta offices as well as Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

"The new system is expected to help reduce the number of passport forgery cases," he said.

The new machine-readable passport system enables the photos of passport holders to be printed along with identification details, including computerized finger prints which are integrated into immigration's centralized computer system.

The system's application will be conducted in stages in other cities throughout Indonesia, Iman said.

He explained that processing the new passports was similar to the method used for credit cards and driver's licenses.

Under the current system, photos are attached to the passports and can be easily removed.

Machine-readable passports will also allow officers to determine whether the holders are included on a blacklist for travel abroad, he said.

The cost for the processing of new passports remains the same but the photo will cost Rp 20,000 (US$3.30) instead of Rp 10,000. (hhr)