AJSI calls for a unified security program provider
AJSI calls for a unified security program provider
JIMBARAN, Bali (JP): The Association of Social Security
Providers in Indonesia (AJSI) has called on the government to
merge five state companies running social security programs for
the sake of efficiency and better services.
AJSI chairman Awaloedin Djamin said all the state companies
which manage social security programs for workers, civil
servants, servicemen and public transportation passengers had
long been plagued with inefficiency and high costs.
"The merge will result in an institutionally and financially
strong social security firm that will seek efficiency and maximum
benefits for the people," he said after the closing ceremony of
the ASEAN Social Security Association's (ASSA) annual meeting
here on Wednesday.
The companies are PT Jamsostek, which deals with social
security for workers, PT Askes (medicare programs for civil
servants and their relatives), PT Taspen (pension funds for civil
servants and retirees), PT Asabri (social security programs for
servicemen) and PT Jasa Rahardja (accident insurance for public
transportation passengers).
Awaloedin, a former National Police chief, said the proposed
national social security system should be handled by an
independent and non-profit state agency which ideally fell under
the President's supervision.
He said AJSI had long proposed a merger of the five companies
on grounds that they did not yield enough profits to the
government as the sole shareholder, not to mention the people.
This violated the Constitution and the International Labor
Organization (ILO) convention on social security programs,
according to Awaloedin.
"You can imagine how much the five companies have paid in
annual taxes and dividends to the government, while most of the
people participating in the social security programs have yet to
enjoy the benefits," he said.
Jamsostek's president, Ackmal Husin, hailed AJSI's proposal,
saying the social security system in Indonesia needed
restructuring in order to improve people's social welfare.
He said Jamsostek was involved in an indepth study to seek an
ideal social security system in the country.
"Jamsostek will throw its weight behind the government's
decision to merge the five companies, but it must be well
prepared and implemented gradually to avoid disturbances to
participants," he said.
Askes president Sonia Roesma expressed her objection to the
proposal because it would cause numerous new problems in the
provision of social protection for workers, civil servants and
servicemen.
"We will agree to a merger of similar programs, not a
unification of companies. We would be glad if, for example, Askes
was entrusted to handling medicare insurance for workers, civil
servants and servicemen while the provident funds were handled by
Jamsostek," she said.
Meanwhile, Jamsostek's director of operational affairs,
Bambang Purwoko, called on labor unions to end long-standing
bickering over their permanent representative in the tripartite
executive board in the state company.
"All funds collected by Jamsostek under the social security
programs do not belong to labor unions. They belong to workers
participating in the programs," he said. (rms)