81,000 Vulnerable Workers in Makassar Now Have a Safety Net

Amid the bustle of Karebosi Field on Friday (19/6), a significant social initiative was launched. While the city pursues economic growth, the Makassar City Government has chosen to focus on its most vulnerable residents: street vendors enduring the scorching sun, fishermen braving the waves, and parking attendants facing unseen risks. Through the 2026 regional budget (APBD), Mayor Munafri Arifuddin has allocated a substantial IDR 27.2 billion, not for physical projects, but to purchase peace of mind for 81,466 vulnerable workers. They are now protected against the risks of workplace accidents and death. More than half of them, precisely 45,000 people, will even receive old-age benefits (Jaminan Hari Tua), something that was previously only a dream for informal workers. “This is not just a figure on paper,” Munafri asserted after the launch of the programme named Makassar Berjasa (Berbagi Jaminan Sosial). “This is an acknowledgement that the state is present. When a family breadwinner falls ill or dies, their family must not collapse as well,” he continued. This programme is the first in Indonesia to specifically target Old-Age Security (JHT) for vulnerable workers with full funding from the regional budget. Groups such as religious leaders, artists, and people with disabilities, who often fall outside the radar of social protection, are now on the priority list. The Mayor, familiarly known as Appi, explained that the programme’s logic is simple: to prevent new poverty. “If the family breadwinner suffers a calamity, the impact is not just grief, but also sudden poverty. We want to break that chain,” he said. The city government is not just providing funds but also building a system. A total of 1,005 ‘Perisai Agents’ have been deployed down to the neighbourhood association (RW) level. These are ordinary citizens trained to be the frontline for education and registration with BPJS Ketenagakerjaan. In other words, the government is not merely injecting funds but creating an ecosystem of collective awareness. The event also witnessed tangible cross-sector collaboration. The municipal market company Perumda Pasar Makassar Raya signed an agreement with BPJS Ketenagakerjaan to protect thousands of market traders. Munafri did not hesitate to invite private companies to utilise their CSR funds for similar purposes. “We will issue a circular. We hope companies operating in Makassar will participate in protecting the communities around them,” he stressed. Deputy Mayor Aliyah Mustika Ilham added that the presence of Perisai agents is key to accelerating universal coverage. “Many people are able to contribute but do not yet know how to register. These agents will conduct proactive outreach,” she said. At the end of his speech, Munafri called the programme a ‘social investment’. Makassar, he said, could become a national example of how collaboration between a local government and BPJS Ketenagakerjaan can create inclusive protection. “We want not a single citizen of Makassar to work without protection. This is a collective movement,” he concluded.