Japanese Chamber Of Commerce And Industry: Demand For Indonesian Migrant Work Continues To Increase

JAKARTA - The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) stated that the demand for Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) in Japan continues to increase considering the local industry's need for quality workers remains high.

"In Japan at this time, not only large companies, but SMEs (small and medium enterprises) also require labor. This shows the demand for PMI which continues to be high," said JCCI Chairman Ken Kobayashi at a press conference in Jakarta, quoted by Antara, Saturday, January 25.

He said that among the professions that are common to be the destinations for the placement of PMI are caregivers and workers in the construction and infrastructure sectors in the Tohoku area, eastern Japan.

The role of PMI in meeting labor demand in Japan is increasingly important considering Japan's aging society has resulted in a labor force shortage, Kobayashi said.

The chairman of the JCCI also hopes that the PMIs stationed in Japan are high-quality workers who are ready to work and help meet the demands of the workers there.

"We hope that PMIs stationed in Japan are very well equipped before leaving so that their quality increases and they are ready to work in Japan," he added.

Kobayashi said one of the main obstacles for PMI in Japan is language differences and communication ability. He also called the problem of habit or decency another obstacle factor.

"To overcome these obstacles, especially for language constraints, we recognize that the relevant ministries (in Indonesia) have provided facilities to support Japanese language capabilities," Kobayashi said.

The chairman of the JCCI admitted that during his visit to Indonesia, the JCCI delegation of his leadership had met the Minister of Protection for Indonesian Migrant Workers (P2MI) Abdul Kadir Karding and the Minister of Manpower Yassierli on different occasions.

"In the meeting, his party discussed industrial sectors and businesses that are open to the placement of PMI in Japan and how to facilitate the development and delivery of workers from Indonesia as well as possible," he said.