Govt to be firm on labor export permits
Govt to be firm on labor export permits
JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Manpower, facing a number of lawsuits, has vowed to maintain strict rules for issuing permits to labor export companies.
Spokesman Soetanto said yesterday that although a number of companies, whose applications for permits were rejected, have filed lawsuits against it, the ministry will stand by its decisions.
He denied the labor export companies' allegation that the office makes its decision according whether it likes the businessmen or the companies.
"There is no such thing as like or dislike when we decide whether to issue or withhold permits," Soetanto told reporters. "Any applications which do not meet all requirements will be rejected," he said.
The companies filed the lawsuits with the Jakarta Administrative Court between March and September. Several of the lawsuits had been turned down because they failed to meet the court's administrative procedures.
An unspecified number of companies have withdrawn their lawsuits after learning they lacked legal grounds for their action. Among the companies were PT Farhana Amin Setia, PT Bina Setia Corporation, PT Ainul Asep Abadi and PT Boner Indonesia.
Soetanto also dismissed the suggestion that his office had tried to influence the court regarding the lawsuits.
"The minister of manpower will not do such a thing. Far from it. The ministry will comply with any decisions the court takes," he said.
Soetanto said the ministry would be consistent with existing legislation in handling applications from companies who wish to export Indonesian workers. The office also used the services of public accountants and management experts in processing the applications, he said.
"Please remember, the tightening of labor export procedure is a way to protect our workers abroad, and to improve the labor export companies' professionalism as well," he said. "We are talking about exporting not goods but human beings."
Out of the existing 300 labor export companies, only 72 have secured new licenses recently. The remaining are no longer allowed to send workers abroad.
Soetanto told the companies which have failed to secure new permits to comply with the various requirements stipulated in two ministerial decrees issued last year.
"In addition to some administrative requirements, the decrees stipulate that all labor export companies have a total asset of at least Rp 450 million in cash and a training center," he said.
Soetanto pointed out that the ministry, when processing applications, also take into consideration a host of other factors.
"No permit will be issued for companies with a poor record, such as those which have been found to have supplied workers for prostitution abroad," he said.
The government is intensifying the labor export program to help ease unemployment here.
It plans to export around 250,000 workers annually during the current sixth Five-year Development Plan, which started last year, with a total of US$60 billion in remittances. (rms)