JAKARTA 3 September - Indonesia has approved nine centres for verification of Seafarers' Identity Documents, ready for its imminent ratification of the ILO Seafarers' Identity Documents Convention (2003). Seafarer organisations are hoping for an early ratification that would pave the way for Indonesian seafarers to be allowed into US ports. Chairman of Indonesian Seafarers' Union Hanafi Rustandi told Fairplay that ratification would help remove Indonesia - a predominantly Islamic country - from the US blacklist. The US has given Indonesia $400,000 to set up centres to process seafarers' ID, though the cost is likely to exceed $1M. The centres will be established at the ports of Tanjung Priok, Belawan, Tanjung Emas, Tanjung Perak, Balikpapan, Makassar, Bitung and Sorong. Indonesia's ratification will pave the way for nearly 15,000 Indonesian seafarers to man merchant ships bound for the US, Rustandi said.
Lloyd's Register - Fairplay web links
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