Expats' obligation

I would like to quote two separate stories which appeared recently in The Jakarta Post.

The first is from an article entitled "Training ends for workers filling expatriates' shoes" which appeared on Jan. 7, 1999. Under a 1997 ministerial decree, foreign workers are obliged to make an annual payment of US$100 into the government's "Indonesianization" program.

The second is from an article entitled "Expatriates operating illegal businesses in Jepara" which appeared on Jan. 11, 1999. "A 1995 presidential decree stipulates that expatriates working here are obliged to pay $100 annually to help finance a training program for locals."

According to the Jan. 7 article "Currently, there are 35,200 expatriates employed in the country...", and the Ministry of Manpower's "Indonesianization" program "...had been funded with Rp 290 billion collected from expatriates working here."

Whether it was a presidential decree in 1995 or a ministerial decree in 1997, the numbers do not add up. Isn't the expatriate obligation, in fact, $1,200 per year, which would generate $40 million to $50 million per year for the Ministry of Manpower?

MARSHALL LESESNE

Jakarta