Foreign workers up in Tangerang

Foreign workers up in Tangerang

TANGERANG: With the number of foreign workers in Tangerang
increasing over the past three years, the municipal
administration has been unable to monitor their presence.

The municipal Permits and Capital Investment Office
(KPKPM) chief, Dafyar Elyadi admitted on Thursday that because
the municipality's agencies lack in good coordination, they found
it hard to monitor the foreign workers.

"We have received reports about the foreign workers from the
municipal manpower office but we have no knowledge how many have
returned to their respective countries," he told the press.

He said the manpower office has depended on reports given by
industrial firms that employed the foreign workers but had never
followed them up with the firms.

According to Adang Turwana of the manpower office, most
foreigners in Tangerang work as company leaders or experts in
various sectors, such as textiles, chemicals, electronics,
garment, ceramics and food and beverages.

He reported that there were 356 foreign workers who worked in
the municipality in 2000. This number rose to 360 in 2001 and
increased to 393 in 2002. Since January this year, the number has
already reached 422.

"Most of them come from South Korea, Taiwan and Japan," he
said.--JP