Commitment to Protecting Vulnerable Workers, Mayor Munafri Wins Paritrana Award

The Makassar City Government has once again achieved a national accolade by winning the Paritrana Award 2025 as the best district or city in Indonesia for employment social security. The prestigious Paritrana Award for Employment Social Security was directly presented by the Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment, Muhaimin Iskandar, commonly known as Cak Imin. The awarding ceremony took place at the BPJAMSOSTEK Plaza, Jalan HR Rasuna Said, South Jakarta, on Friday (8/5), and was received directly by the Mayor of Makassar, Munafri Arifuddin, alias Appi, as recognition of the strong commitment to worker protection. Mayor of Makassar Munafri Arifuddin, or Appi, received the award directly as appreciation for the Makassar City Government’s commitment to expanding social protection for workers, particularly vulnerable groups. In his statement, Munafri emphasised that the award serves as concrete evidence of the government’s bias towards workers who have previously had minimal access to social protection. “This award proves that the Makassar City Government is present and cares for vulnerable workers who have long needed protection,” he said. He noted that the government’s attention covers various worker groups, from labourers and artists to RT/RW chairpersons and other informal communities. This achievement is considered special because Makassar is the only district or city government outside Java and the only one from South Sulawesi to successfully win the award. In 2026, the Makassar City Government made history at the national level by winning the Paritrana Award 2025, a prestigious award in the field of employment social security. This feat is even more remarkable as Makassar stands out as the sole district or city government outside Java, as well as the only one from South Sulawesi Province, to receive this recognition. Amid tight competition among regions—especially with only about five or six areas achieving it—this accomplishment affirms Makassar’s position as a progressive region in delivering an inclusive and sustainable labour protection system. Furthermore, Appi stressed that the city government views employment social security programmes as a crucial instrument in ensuring worker welfare, both in the formal and informal sectors. “We are committed to ensuring all workers receive protection. This is a form of the state’s presence in every community work activity,” he said. Currently, through policies based on the Mayor’s Regulation (Perwali), the Makassar City Government has protected 81,466 vulnerable workers from various work risks. This protection includes work accident insurance and death benefits. Additionally, around 45,000 residents have received benefits from the Old-Age Security (JHT) programme. Munafri also invited all communities and business actors to actively register as BPJS Employment participants to expand the scope of social protection. “We invite all workers in Makassar, even in Indonesia, to become BPJS Employment participants,” he urged. “This is an important step towards universal coverage of social security for workers,” continued the Golkar politician. He explained that in the 2025 programme implementation, the Makassar City Government introduced innovation through the Makassar Berjasa Programme (Makassar Shares Social Security), which is part of the seven priority programmes “Sapta Unggulan”. This programme focuses on protecting vulnerable workers, with a total of 81,466 workers covered, including 45,000 who receive JHT benefits—a new innovation at the regional level. Not only that, the Makassar City Government also initiated the RT/RW-based Perisai Agency programme. This scheme aims to facilitate public access to registration as participants while opening new job opportunities. “This programme has been running effectively since 2026 and is one of the strategies to accelerate universal social security coverage,” Munafri explained. The number one person in Makassar City emphasised that vulnerable workers are the top priority because they face high risks, irregular incomes, and minimal social protection. According to him, government intervention through the Makassar Berjasa Programme is a strategic step in preventing new poverty while expanding employment social security. Thus, moving forward, the Makassar City Government is committed to broadening the scope of social security through strengthened regulations, increased budget allocation, and multi-stakeholder collaboration with BPJS Employment. This step is expected to ensure all workers, especially vulnerable ones, receive adequate protection. Appi mentioned that one of the most memorable moments during the programme’s implementation was when vulnerable workers who previously had no protection are now registered and directly feel the benefits. The handover of compensation to heirs also serves as concrete evidence of the government’s presence in protecting the working community. “Throughout 2025, the total claim benefits disbursed reached Rp43.37 billion to 6,881 workers. The beneficiaries include non-ASN employees, village officials, RT/RW, and community cadres,” he revealed. Munafri hopes that employment social security can reach all workers in Makassar City, especially vulnerable groups, thereby creating comprehensive protection and improved welfare. Most importantly, all workers can work calmly, productively, and protected. He also emphasised that the success in winning this award is the result of collaboration among various parties, from the Makassar City Government, BPJS Employment, to cross-regional apparatus such as the Labour Office, Social Office, Civil Registry, Bappeda, sub-districts, the business world, and trade unions.