To Be Even And Inclusive, Vice President Ma'ruf Asks BPJS Employment To Reach Workers In Remote Areas

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin delivered a speech on the agenda of the 2024 Paritrana Award, at Plaza BP Jamsostek, South Jakarta, Thursday (12/9/2024). (ANTARA/Andi Firdaus)

JAKARTA - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin asked the Social Security Administration (BPJS) for services to reach the protection of workers in rural areas and remote areas.

"Make sure the service is more equitable and inclusive, so that it is not only available in big cities, but also in remote areas," said Ma'ruf Amin while attending the 2024 Paritrana Award Award Award Award, at Plaza BP Jamsostek, South Jakarta, Antara, Thursday, September 12.

With the number of people working in 2024 reaching 142 million people, said Ma'ruf, the government continues to strive to increase the universal coverage of Employment Social Security (Jamsostek).

According to him, this effort can be realized through increasing digitization and accessibility of services, so that all workers can take advantage of their rights as BPJS Employment participants, both in the formal and informal sectors.

No less important, said Ma'ruf, the Jamsostek protection program also needs to be given to vulnerable workers, such as farmers, fishermen, marbots, street vendors, religious officers, and other vulnerable groups to deal with emergency financial conditions.

"For this reason, the active role of local governments to the smallest government levels, such as villages, sub-districts, is very important to ensure that every worker becomes an active participant in BPJS Ketenagakerjaan, especially through optimizing the Jamsostek program and programs to accelerate the elimination of extreme poverty," he said.

In addition, he also encourages service innovations that have been developed by BPJS Ketenagakerjaan to continue to be improved.

The Vice President hopes that innovations such as digitizing services and developing information technology can facilitate registration and utilizing the benefits of social security throughout Indonesia.

"Continue to support the innovation of BPJS Employment services so that access and convenience in registration and utilization of social security benefits will be wider and evenly distributed throughout Indonesia," he said.

Previously, the President Director of BPJS Ketenagakerjaan, Anggoro Eko Cahyo, reported that Jamsostek had protected 39.2 million workers, including 2.8 million vulnerable workers.

This social security program, according to Anggoro, is very important to withstand the impact of the decline in the number of middle classes, which is a challenge in achieving Indonesia Gold 2045.

"Since 2023, we have distributed Rp90 trillion in benefits to 7.3 million workers, heirs and also provided educational scholarship benefits for 160 thousand workers' children with a value of Rp663 billion," he said.

Present at this event were Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy, Minister of Manpower Ida Fauziyah, Plt. Secretary General of the Ministry of Home Affairs Tomsi Tohir, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Board of Directors, and Member of the Supervisory Board of BPJS Ketenagakerjaan, Chair and the 2024 Paritrana Award Assessment Team, as well as recipients of the 2024 Paritrana Award.