Govt pays pensions earlier

Govt pays pensions earlier

JAKARTA (JP): The government has decided to pay the monthly pension of all its former employees early so that they can celebrate the Idul Fitri Moslem holiday.

Chairman of the Civil Service Administration Agency (BAKN) Soenarko said the pensioners can collect their pension checks on March 1 and 2 instead of between the 4th and 7th of the month as is usual, Antara reported.

Pensioners collect their pay either from the post office or appointed government banks.

BAKN estimates that there are around one million pensioners of the civil service in all of Indonesia.

Soenarko explained that the government has repeatedly raised the pensions of its former employees to improve their welfare.

In 1992, it awarded a 10 percent increase and then in 1993 another 20 percent. Another 10 percent hike was effected as of last January, he said. (emb)