To maintain our national sovereignty, we need at least 70 PLBNs Jakarta (ANTARA) – Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian called for immediately operating five new cross-border posts (PLBN) for which construction has been completed.”Immediately coordinate with colleagues in the border, immigration, customs, quarantine, agriculture, and other agencies, all of them, so we can operate the five (new border crossings),” Karnavian stated at the coordination meeting on state border management control here, Thursday (May 25). The five cross-border posts referred to by the minister are Serasan PLBN in Riau Islands, Jagoi Babang PLBN in West Kalimantan, Sei Nyamuk PLBN in North Kalimantan, Napan PLBN in East Nusa Tenggara, and Yetetkun PLBN in South Papua. The new cross-border posts should commence their operation at the earliest, even before President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) officiates the site, Karnavian emphasized. He noted that apart from the five new cross-border posts, 13 PLBN sites will also be operating this year. “When the president officiates (the border posts), it is just for ceremonial purposes. It does not mean the border post operates only after the ceremony, no. Just operate it because the sooner, the better,” Karnavian emphasized. He stated that maintaining the national border will be important for Indonesia, adding that being one of the largest island countries, managing national borders will also be a major challenge for Indonesia. “To maintain our national sovereignty, we need at least 70 PLBNs,” the minister stated. Karnavian also affirmed that the National Border Management Authority (BNPP) will continue to focus on strategic efforts to accelerate the development of cross-border posts to fulfil the target of 26 PLBNs, as per the 2020-2024 National Middle-term Development Plan (RPJMN). Optimizing cross-border post development is also essential to catch up with setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that had compelled the authority to reallocate and refocus the budget, he affirmed. “We are resuming and continuing (the development) in several segments,” the minister stated.

Source: Antara News Agency