Spokesperson For Vice President: President Inaugurates Job Loss Guarantee Program Tomorrow

President Jokowi with Vice President Ma'ruf Amin/DOK VIA ANTARA

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo will inaugurate the Job Loss Guarantee Program (JKP), as a scheme to strengthen social protection for workers affected by layoffs, Tuesday, February 22 tomorrow.

Spokesperson for Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, Masduki Baidlowi said JKP is a program from the Ministry of Manpower for workers who have been laid off, replacing the benefits of disbursing Old Age Security (JHT).

"Regarding JKP and JHT, this is a JKP program at BPJS (Social Security Administering Body). God willing, Tuesday (22/2) tomorrow, the President plans to inaugurate it," said Masduki Baidlowi in a written statement quoted by Antara, Monday, February 21.

Basically, he continued, the JKP program is a strengthening of social protection schemes for workers who have lost their jobs or have been laid off, in which JKP contributions are subsidized by the government.

"So, workers are not burdened with new contributions. BPJS participants automatically join the JKP Program," he explained.

He also invited all parties to look forward to the inauguration of the program.

As is known, the Minister of Manpower Regulation (Permenaker) Number 2 of 2022 concerning Procedures and Requirements for Payment of JHT Benefits has drawn a polemic among the public, relating to the terms or conditions that JHT funds can only be obtained when BPJS Ketenagakerjaan participants are 56 years old.

In this regard, Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko said the JHT regulated in Permenaker Number 2 of 2022 is actually a form of government attention to workers when they enter old age.

Moeldoko asked the public to see the spirit of the provisions in the Minister of Manpower Regulation No. 2 of 2022, which wants to restore the main function of the JHT program, as a guarantee for people in their post-productive age.

If workers are worried about being laid off before entering the age of JHT disbursement, said Moeldolo, then the Government has prepared a JKP Program.