Minister admits govt cannot cope with unemployment<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Manpower has admitted it has
\nlittle power to stem the increasing tide of unemployment because
\nit has been forced to postpone many of its development projects.<\/p>\n
Minister of Manpower Fahmi Idris said on Monday that many of
\nhis ministry's planned development projects had been postponed
\ndue to the economic crisis.<\/p>\n
The ministry will be unable to reach its target of spending 50
\npercent of its 1998\/1999 fiscal year budget for development
\nprojects because of the project delays, he said.<\/p>\n
\"How can the nation cope with unemployment if the economic
\ncrisis and political turmoil continue to worsen?\"<\/p>\n
Unemployment has shot up 100 percent from nine million in July
\nlast year to 18 million this month.<\/p>\n
Ministry of Manpower's Secretary-General Suwarto told
\nlegislators in a hearing that the ministry had been able to spend
\nonly 26 percent of its total Rp 120 billion budget to finance 118
\nprojects.<\/p>\n
He said that he had yet to know how effective the development
\nprojects had been in easing unemployment because he had no data
\non how many workers had been absorbed.<\/p>\n
The ministry had originally allocated 50 percent of its
\nbudget, or Rp 58 billion, to finance 57 training programs, while
\n35 percent of the budget had been earmarked for labor placement
\nand 15 percent for labor protection. Suwarto also said that the
\nministry was overseeing nine training projects worth US$175.5
\nmillion, funded through foreign assistance.<\/p>\n
In an effort to employ recently laid-off workers, the ministry
\nhas also been managing a Rp 3.1 trillion program to create labor-
\nintensive projects aimed at absorbing 1.8 million skilled and
\nunskilled workers.<\/p>\n
\"All (labor-intensive) projects that started in May and June
\nwere temporarily stopped because of rescheduling and resumed
\nagain in August and September,\" Suwarto said.<\/p>\n
Yudo Swasono, chief of the center for research and development
\nplanning at the ministry, said he feared sporadic looting and
\nunrest would continue since the crisis had yet to show signs of
\neasing.<\/p>\n
The minister also answered questions concerning the
\nproliferation of new labor unions throughout the country.<\/p>\n
He said seven unions were currently registered with the
\nministry: The All Indonesia Workers Union (FSPSI), the Indonesian
\nProsperous Labor Union (SBSI), the Brotherhood of Indonesian
\nMoslem Workers (PPMI), the Federation of All Indonesia Democratic
\nUnions (FSBDSI), the Federation of Indonesian Independent Unions
\n(GASPERMINDO), the Indonesian Moslem Union (Serbumusi) and the
\nMarhaen Labor Union (KBM). Official recognition of the unions
\nwill depend on the country's new labor law. (rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/minister-admits-govt-cannot-cope-with-unemployment-1447893297",
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