Jamsostek promises to improve workers' welfare<\/p>\n
Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Puncak<\/p>\n
State pension fund and workplace insurer PT Jamsostek vowed on
\nSunday to allocate part of its profit this year to improve
\nworkers' welfare in the next.<\/p>\n
Jamsostek president Achmad Djunaidi said the company was
\nexpected to book a profit of about Rp 3 trillion (US$340) this
\nyear.<\/p>\n
A majority of this would be given back to workers by raising
\nthe interest rates on their pension funds to 8.5 percent per
\nannum, increasing compensation for those in workplace accidents
\nand developing more low-cost houses and flats for workers.<\/p>\n
\"Jamsostek stakeholders and the management have decided to
\ngive a bigger share of the company's profit to workers ... the
\nhike in compensation for workers in accidents will be decided in
\nthe immediate future,\" he said here on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Djunaidi said management along with the government, as the
\nmajority shareholder, had also agreed to hold back a larger
\nportion of the government's dividend this year and use it to
\ndevelop more low-cost houses and cheap flats in industrial zones
\nacross the country.<\/p>\n
\"President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has decided to launch a
\nsecondary mortgage finance (SMF) scheme to encourage housing
\ndevelopers to issue housing bonds guaranteed by the government
\nand Jamsostek will buy the bonds to help workers pay for simple
\nhouses and flats,\" he said.<\/p>\n
This year, Jamsostek disbursed Rp 295 billion to help workers
\nbuy low-cost houses and build low-cost flats in industrial zones
\nin North Sumatra, Riau, Jakarta, West Jakarta and South Sulawesi.
\nJamsostek is scheduled to construct more cheap flats in Jakarta
\nand its outskirts, Surabaya and North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Operations director Indra Haryadi said besides getting more
\nworkers into social security programs, Jamsostek and the
\ngovernment were considering raising the insurance premium in a
\nbid to give more benefits to workers.<\/p>\n
\"Jamsostek premiums are only 7 percent: 2 percent from workers
\nand the remaining 5 percent from employers. Jamsostek could not
\ndo many things to help improve the workers' welfare because of
\nthe low insurance premium,\" he said, adding that Indonesia
\npension premiums were the lowest in Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n
Despite the large profits, Jamsostek could not afford good
\nhealth care programs, higher compensation for workers in
\nworkplace accidents and bigger payments in the pension fund
\nprograms because of the low premium, he said.<\/p>\n
\"So far, Jamsostek has assets of Rp 30 trillion with the
\nparticipation of 23 million workers contributing to four social
\nsecurity programs -- health care, life insurance, occupational
\naccidents and pension funds,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The premiums had to be raised if the government wanted workers
\nto have quality of life in their retirement, he said.<\/p>\n
Indra said Jamsostek would also enhance cooperation with the
\nManpower and Transmigration Ministry to enforce Law No. 3\/1992 to
\nnet workers into the social security programs and to help improve
\nthe company's service to workers.<\/p>\n
\"Out of the 104 million workforce, only 24 million workers are
\nparticipating in the social security programs and only 13 million
\nare actively paying for their premiums. The remaining 11 million
\nhave not paid premiums because of the prolonged economic crisis.<\/p>\n
\"Many companies have also not yet enrolled their workers into
\nthe programs and many others have registered only a part of their
\nworkforce with Jamsostek,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jamsostek-promises-to-improve-workers-welfare-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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