Jobless trainees to sue govt over missing funds<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): At least 20 recently dismissed workers who have
\njust completed an eight-month training program will sue the
\ngovernment for failing to fulfill its pledge to supply them with
\ncredit of Rp 100 million, a lawyer said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The workers went to the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute's office
\nto seek legal advice in regard to their complaint.<\/p>\n
Surya Tjandra of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute said after
\nreceiving the complaint that they were recruited by consulting
\nfirm PT Sarey Hanish Consultants to receive training, which was
\nsponsored by the Ministry of Industry and Trade as part of the
\nsocial safety net program.<\/p>\n
\"The firm promised the workers that they would be given loans
\nas working capital after completing the training course on
\nhandicraft businesses,\" Surya said.<\/p>\n
He said the workers were divided into two groups and each
\ngroup was to receive Rp 50 million.<\/p>\n
One of the workers, Mukri, said he became interested in the
\ntraining program after reading an advertisement appearing in
\nseveral newspapers, including Kompas, Pos Kota, and Suara
\nPembaruan. The advertisement said the training program was
\nintended mainly for jobless people who had been dismissed due to
\nthe prolonged economic crisis.<\/p>\n
Mukri said the training program, which started in July last
\nyear, was held at a training center in East Jakarta. He said each
\nparticipant was given a monthly allowance of Rp 240,000.<\/p>\n
\"The firm promised to distribute the loans last month at the
\nlatest, but until now we have not received the money. We have
\nbeen neglected,\" said Mukri, a former employee of a private firm
\nin Subang, West Java.<\/p>\n
Sarey Hanish Consultants' public relations manager, Yulius
\nUsman, however, denied that his firm had cheated the workers.<\/p>\n
\"We are just the organizers of the training program. We never
\npromised to give any working capital to the workers,\" Yulius told
\nThe Jakarta Post on Tuesday, refusing to give further details.<\/p>\n
Lawyer Surya said the funds had possibly been embezzled by
\nministry officials.<\/p>\n
Based on information from training program participants, he
\nsaid, executives of the firm in charge of running the program
\nwere also ministry officials.<\/p>\n
He said the consulting firm had branch offices in Medan, North
\nSumatra and Surabaya, East Java, to manage the funds.<\/p>\n
He said he believed the firm had also neglected to fulfill
\npromises to 10 other participants of a farming training course.
\n(jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jobless-trainees-to-sue-govt-over-missing-funds-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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