Wamenaker Expect PMI MoU To Qatar Via SPSK To Be Signed Immediately

Wamenaker Afriansyah Noor (right) and the Indonesian Ambassador to Qatar Ridwan Hassan after a meeting at the Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) in Doha, Qatar, Sunday (6/10/2024) ANTARA/HO-Kemnaker

Deputy Minister of Manpower (Wamenaker), Afriansyah Noor hopes to accelerate the signing of a memorandum of understanding to place Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) to Qatar through the One Canal Placement System (SPSK) in 2025.

"The government hopes that by 2025 the MoU and technical arrangement (TA) will soon be signed for the placement of Indonesian Migrant Workers to Qatar through the One Canal Placement System," Afriansyah Noor said in a statement in Jakarta, Antara, Tuesday, October 8.

This was conveyed by Afriansyah after holding a meeting with the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Qatar Ridwan Hassan at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) in Doha, Qatar.

On that occasion, he hoped that through Ambassador Ridwan Hassan the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and TA the placement of PMI to Qatar could be carried out immediately.

He said the memorandum of understanding of placement through SPSK is important, especially for the domestic sector, to provide certainty of protection to Indonesian workers.

He explained that there are several notes that need Qatar's attention regarding cooperation in domestic sector placement, including SPSK as the only mechanism for placing Indonesian workers in the domestic sector in Qatar. In addition, PMI only works for employers of legal entities and not individuals.

Afriansyah Noor hopes that his visit to Qatar can strengthen diplomacy in the field of employment between the Government of Indonesia and the Government of Qatar, especially in strengthening placement and protection for Indonesian Migrant Workers.

"I am sure and have full hope for Mr. Ridwan Hassan, that cooperation in the field of employment between the two countries can be better and more developed," he said.

The Qatar Government's statistical data in 2023 shows the expatriate population in Qatar as many as 2,982,631 people. Of these, 23,551 people are Indonesian citizens, which accounts for about 0.69 percent of the total Qatar population.

The most number of PMIs working in Qatar are Doha, Al Khor, Dukhan, and Mesailieed.