JAKARTA - Member of Commission IX of the House of Representatives Nurhadi criticized the 2025 Wage Subsidy Assistance (BSU) program worth IDR 600,000 which was given to workers with a maximum salary of IDR 3.5 million as a substitute for the 50 percent discounted electricity rate policy which was canceled by the Minister of Finance.
He assessed that this program still leaves problems because the distribution mechanism is only intended for active BPJS Employment participants until April 2025.
"Fakta di lapangan, masih banyak pekerja dengan penghasilan rendah yang belum terdaftar atau bahkan kesulitan mengakses BPJS Ketenagakerjaan karena berbagai constraints ekonomi, terutama pekerja informal dan sektor mikro," ujar Nurhadi, Kamis, 5 Juni.
The Ministry of Manpower (Kemenaker) has set the requirements for receiving the 2025 Wage Subsidy Assistance (BSU) through the Minister of Manpower Regulation (Permenaker) Number 5 of 2025. First, Indonesian Citizens (WNI). Second, active BPJS Employment participants.
Third, employees with a maximum salary or wage of Rp. 3.5 million per month. Fourth, not the State Civil Apparatus (ASN), TNI soldiers, or members of the National Police. Fifth, they are not receiving other social assistance.
The 2025 BSU aims to help workers or laborers in maintaining purchasing power and encouraging national economic growth. The total budget disbursed for this year's BSU Wage Subsidy Assistance program reached IDR 10.72 trillion.
The 2025 BSU will be given IDR 300,000 per month for two months, namely June and July 2025. However, this assistance will be distributed at once amounting to IDR 600,000 in June 2025.
Nurhadi emphasized that the restrictions on 2025 BSU recipients have the potential to leave the most vulnerable group of workers beyond the reach of assistance.
"In fact, those who really really really need economic support are threatened with failing to receive assistance because they have not been registered with BPJS," he said.
For information, based on data from the Social Security Administration (BPJS) of Employment or BP Jamsostek, the number of active participants was recorded at 39.7 million people as of April 2025. This number has decreased compared to the position as of March 2025 which was 40.2 million people, and the position as of December 2024 which was 45.22 million people.
Nurhadi also highlighted the phenomenon of many companies not registering their employees as BPJS participants. Therefore, the requirement for BSU recipients to have BPJS Ketenagakerjaan is considered inappropriate.
"Not to mention the threat of layoffs, if you don't have BPJS Employment, employees who even serve for decades also don't receive wages or severance pay," added Nurhadi.
On the other hand, Nurhadi also encouraged the mechanism for distributing BSU as well as Rp. 600,000 to be accompanied by a strict monitoring system so that assistance was right on target and not misused.
"However, the most important thing is the need for a breakthrough so that access to BPJS participation and other social protection programs can be expanded, including for informal workers who have been difficult to reach so far," he said.
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Nurhadi assessed that the economic stimulus program such as BSU is certainly important, but it should not be a partial solution that only benefits a small number of workers. According to him, the Government must seriously evaluate and improve the system so that social assistance can really be felt by all levels of society in need, without exception.
"Strengthening social protection must be a national priority, especially during the global economic uncertainty period. Do not let the assistance program become a new source of inequality that adds to the burden on the underprivileged," said Nurhadi.
Nurhadi emphasized his commitment to fighting for the protection of labor, especially for non-wage workers (BPU). He also emphasized the importance of BPJS Employment for informal sector workers such as farmers, traders, fishermen, creative economy workers, to other freelancers.
According to the member of the DPR's Manpower Commission, employment social security is not only for office workers. Nurhadi said that employment guarantees are also the right of all workers in various fields.
"We at Commission IX of the DPR RI continue to encourage informal sector workers to get proper protection through BPJS Employment," he said.
"Don't let our workers be unprotected when they have a work accident or when they enter old age," concluded Nurhadi.
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