Full Of Criticism, Pre-Employment Cards Are Proposed To Become People's Business Capital

Illustration. (Angga Nugraha / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Pre-Employment Card Program reaps pros and cons. The corona virus pandemic or COVID-19 changed the initial function of the program, which should have been for assistance with training costs for the workforce. However, in response to the pandemic, this program is aimed at helping people affected by the outbreak.

Some parties also considered that the online training facility with a budget of IDR 1 million per participant was considered ineffective. This is because the budget is better given in the form of direct assistance in order to assist those affected by layoffs.

Member of Commission VI DPR RI, Deddy Yevri Sitorus, suggested the government to review the implementation of the Pre-Work Card program. According to him, the distribution of the policy should be turned into direct assistance to reduce the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis so that it does not spread.

"In my opinion, the Pre-Employment Card program has just been changed to direct business assistance or labor-intensive. So learning is done directly with independent businesses, not just online courses," he said, in a written statement received by VOI, in Jakarta, April 21.

Deddy said the community would get greater benefits if they received the budget directly after registering and being verified as registrants for the Pre-Employment Card. Thus, the Rp20 trillion program can be immediately used to start and drive labor-intensive businesses and revitalize the economy.

"Currently, they need more funds to drive, create an economy, to revive people's businesses," he explained.

On the other hand, Deddy is worried that the benefits of the Pre-employment Card program will not be effective because applicants have to take paid training or online courses that cost millions of rupiah. Not to mention the risk if paid training is not suitable for the needs in special conditions such as at this time. The applicator should function as a data manager and business counseling.

"If the money goes directly to the registrant, then the economy can move and they will be helped. The money does not go into the pocket of the application owner," he said.

The PDI-P politician emphasized that the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis has already been felt by the community. In this special condition, said Deddy, there must be a special policy to reduce the impact so that the impact does not spread.

"Let's just say that the Pre-Work Card funds are like a revolving fund, a savings and loan cooperative for example. It is more useful for the 5.9 million people who have registered," he said.

Deddy said, by changing the training program facilities into people's business capital, economic activity was created, because the money did not go to start-up players only. He said that the distribution of assistance for people's business capital could be carried out in stages per two million registered registrants.

"Many efforts can be made by the beneficiary community, making herbs, vitamins, selling agricultural products directly to consumers, and others," he explained.