Not Only Governance Of Placement, KemenP2MI Prepares Migrant Workers Empowerment Program

Minister of Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (P2MI) Muktarudin. BETWEEN/Asep Firmansyah

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Protection for Indonesian Migrant Workers (KemenP2MI) stated that the government is not only focusing on the process of placing migrant workers, but also preparing empowerment programs when they return to the country after the foreign work contract is completed.

Minister of P2MI Muktarudin explained the need for government intervention in the downstream stage, namely when migrant workers return to Indonesia. One of the efforts made is to provide financial literacy training before departure or when they are in a placement country.

"Many of them have a salary of Rp. 15 to 20 million, but 70' 80 percent are still used for consumptive purposes. We teach them to be productive, save, and when they come home they have capital for micro-enterprises," said Minister Muktarudin at the Coordinating Ministry for Community Empowerment Office, Jakarta, Tuesday, quoted by Antara.

According to him, the working pattern of migrant workers who generally use contracts for one to two years makes them return to Indonesia in conditions that are often not economically ready.

For those that are not extended, we will return to the country. That's why the issue of empowerment is not finished. Contract one year, return again, then wait for what to do. Unemploy again or return to poverty, or register again as migrant workers," he said.

Therefore, he continued, intervention is needed in the form of financial literacy which not only targets workers, but also for families left behind. This training is intended to encourage migrant workers to manage income wisely.

The government has also prepared a coaching scheme with the relevant ministries. Prospective entrepreneurs from former migrant workers are fostered by the Ministry of MSMEs, while those who pioneer export-oriented micro-enterprises receive assistance from the Ministry of Trade.

"We already have two MoUs, with the Ministry of Trade and the Ministry of MSMEs. This is to ensure that migrant workers who return home can immediately get support," he said.

Muktarudin emphasized that the government wants to ensure that migrant workers who return do not return to unemployment.

He added that the migrant worker empowerment program will continue to be strengthened so that migrant workers can live independently economically and not return to the poverty cycle.

"The government does not stop only training and placing. As soon as the contract is completed, they return as Indonesian citizens, and we must think about it so that it does not accumulate into unemployment," he said.