BPJS Employment Contribution Subsidy Plan: Evidence Of The Government's Serious Protection Of Free Workers Or Partners?

JAKARTA After disbursing Rp200 trillion in funds to five state banks, the government is now preparing an economic policy package. The target is the same, spurring national economic growth.

The government is preparing an economic policy package in the fourth quarter of 2025 to accelerate the implementation of the development program. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said the program was 8+4. Not all of them have been detailed, but he mentioned several of them.

One of the main focuses is capturing freelancers or partners, such as online motorcycle taxi drivers (ojol), into social security programs. Later, the worker will receive protection in the form of work accident guarantees (JKK), job loss guarantees (JKP), and death insurance (JKM). To support this policy, the government plans to cover 50 percent of the contribution payments for online motorcycle taxi drivers.

According to economist calculations, the government's budget value is quite significant, but on the other hand, the benefits for workers are also large.

The government previously also launched a number of economic policy packages. This is done to increase public demand. Finally, the government poured out policy packages in June-July 2025 with a stimulus of IDR 24.44 trillion.

At that time, President Prabowo Subianto decided on five policy groups in the stimulus package with the main targets of the transportation sector, social assistance, wage subsidies, and toll incentives.

Regarding the government policy package, the Minister of Finance, Purbaya Yudhi Sadivewa, emphasized that he fully supports the program.

"The maximum is possible. I want later at the end of the year, all the money we have can be used effectively. So, there will be no more excessive money like before. Money is used for development," he said.

Back to the discourse on providing social security contributions for freelancers or partners such as ojol, economic observer at the Center of Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS) Nailul Huda said that it should have been done for a long time. This, he said, was in accordance with what many parties often voiced, including CELIOS, that there must be protection for all workers, including freelancers.

"We have indeed voiced the scheme for providing contribution assistance for a long time. The reason is not only about incentives, but rather to providing social security for workers as a whole," Huda told VOI.

This assistance scheme can encourage freelancers to be able to access government programs. So I hope this program is not a short-term program," he added.

On this basis, Huda believes it will be very possible for the government to create programs related to social security for online motorcycle taxi drivers and other similar workers.

"Just formulating a scheme for payment that is adjusted to the characteristics of the worker," he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Macroeconomic and Financial Center of the Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef) M Rizal Taufikurahman said, from some of the data obtained, the number of motorcycle taxi drivers in Indonesia is estimated to reach more than four million people. However, only about 250 thousand people are protected by employment social security.

Quoting Kompas, with a contribution of Rp. 16,800 per month for JKK and JKM programs, and Rp. 36,800 if added to JHT, the government must spend around Rp. 176 billion to Rp. 400 billion per year for ojol driver contributions only. This value is calculated if the government provides a 50 percent contribution subsidy.

Rizal admitted that the budget value is quite significant, but on the other hand it provides great benefits for workers. The benefits obtained include that workers receive basic protection for the risk of accidents and deaths. The cost is also reduced so that they can maintain purchasing power. At the same time, BPJS Ketenagakerjaan's participation is getting wider.

However, he also mentioned a number of risks that must be taken into account by the government. From a fiscal perspective, the subsidy of hundreds of billions of rupiah per year is clearly a burden that is not small. Thus, the consistency of the subsidy budget in the midst of limited state fiscal space must be ensured.

In terms of implementation, low literacy on employment social security and access for informal workers can make program utilization not optimal. The risk of deviation is also open. For example, platform companies have the potential to use subsidies from the government to avoid responsibility for partner welfare. From the worker side, they can ignore procedural compliance.

"In addition, increasing the number of participants will also encourage social security claims. So, BPJS Employment needs to ensure that the risk management and financing system remains sustainable," he said.

Chairman of the Indonesian Driver Empowered House (RBPI) Ika Rostianti positively welcomed the government's plan to cover 50 percent of JKK, JKM, and JHT freelancers or partner workers such as ojol drivers. He believes the plan is able to ease the burden on workers.

It's just that, he added, the plan has challenges. For example, it is clear who will bear the remaining total dues. Moreover, in the context of the condition of freelance workers or partner workers, such as online motorcycle taxi drivers.

Workers in this category generally work for more than one employer or theride hailing platform. From the start, we hoped that the government, which bears 100 percent of JKK, JKM, and JHT, for online motorcycle taxi drivers," said Ika.

A different opinion was put forward by Reni Sondari from the Education Division of the Indonesian Drivers' Democracy Union. According to him, it is the ride-hailing platform company that should be fully responsible for paying labor social security contributions for partner drivers. So, it is not the government that helps subsidies.

So far, online motorcycle taxi drivers have contributed greatly to ride-hailing platforms. Some of those who have awareness of the importance of employment social security are willing to pay for themselves. If the government provides contribution subsidies, it means that the government cannot be firm on platform companies," said Reni.