Moeldoko Promises To Find Solutions To The Problem Of Placement Of Indonesian Migrant Workers

Chief of Presidential Staff, Moeldoko. (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko promised to immediately find a solution related to the problem of placing Prospective Indonesian Migrant Workers (CPMI).

This is because CPMI's departure to a number of countries after the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed is still not optimal due to several obstacles.

In fact, the placement countries have started to reopen the acceptance of Indonesian workers. Like Korea, Japan, and Taiwan.

"The issue of the departure of prospective migrant workers must be immediately resolved. Because the placement of workers abroad is one way to accommodate the new workforce every year," said Moeldoko in a written statement, Sunday, July 17.

For information, this field verification follows up on the meeting of the Presidential Chief of Staff with the management of the Association of Indonesian Manpower Service Companies (APJATI), on Tuesday, July 5.

During the hearing, APJATI revealed that tens of thousands of CPMIs had not yet been able to depart to their destination countries, and were still waiting in line at the Computerized System for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (Sisko P2MI).

Moeldoko said that one of the problems faced by Indonesian manpower service companies was the issue of the non-optimal rules for charging fees and the issue of rules for cost components per country by the relevant institutions.

In fact, he said, the rules for charging fees and the rules for cost components became a reference for the placement process and a reference for financing needed by all parties.

The cost component includes the cost of becoming a CPMI, such as a health certificate, certificate of proof of competence and BPJS health participation, then process costs, namely job training, transportation and accommodation to the selection site, as well as placement fees which include making passports, medical check-ups, psychological tests, tickets, and visas.

“In certain countries such as Malaysia, the cost component is borne by the employer. However, in other countries such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Korea, not all of the cost components are borne by the employer or the government. There needs to be an agreement between the sending country and the labor receiving country in the corridors of the laws that apply in Indonesia," explained Moeldoko.

The 2013-2015 TNI Commander emphasized that the government has actually provided a solution for financing the placement of migrant workers in the form of People's Business Credit (KUR) through banks. This is regulated in the Coordinating Minister for the Economy Regulation No. 1/2022 concerning Guidelines for the Implementation of People's Business Credit.

However, said Moeldoko, based on data from the Ministry of Finance's Program Credit Information System (SIKP) as of July 15, 2022, of the budget allocation of Rp. 390 billion in 2022, only 5 percent of KUR has been absorbed for CPMI or Rp. 17.6 billion.

“From the results of the verification, prospective migrant workers admit that they have difficulty applying for KUR because there is no rule regarding the placement fee component which is one of the requirements for banks in distributing KUR. In addition, the additional requirements for the KUR channeling bank are considered burdensome because there must be a one hundred percent cash deposit guarantee," he said.

“KSP will soon find a solution with the Ministry of Manpower, BP2MI and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the issue of cost components, and other problems experienced by migrant workers. The government through KSP is very concerned about the protection of PMIs," continued Moeldoko.

In the field verification, Moeldoko, who was accompanied by Experts from the Presidential Staff Office, Aji Erlangga Martawireja, also saw firsthand the infrastructure and job training processes which were attended by hundreds of CPMIs.

On that occasion, he also conveyed several messages to CPMI.

"You have to study hard here. Be it the language, skills, or work culture of the destination country. Good work, guarded behavior, and make employers happy. The most important thing is to manage finances so that your life changes," he concluded.