Govt to set up labor export agency: Minister

Govt to set up labor export agency: Minister

JAKARTA (JP): The government is setting up a labor export
agency to simplify procedures and better protect workers
overseas, according to Minister of Manpower Fahmi Idris.

President B.J. Habibie is scheduled to issue the decree on the
establishment of the agency next week, Fahmi told The Jakarta
Post on Friday. He would chair the agency, and work in
cooperation with local labor exporters.

"The agency will provide for workers a one-roof service in
bank credit facilities, passports, insurance schemes and
ticketing," he said.

The minister added the agency was established following
rampant abuse of migrant workers both here and abroad at almost
all stages of their recruitment and employment, until their
arrival home.

"These abuses must be curbed," he said.

He described how brokers extorted money from workers in their
home villages and in buses transporting them to and from the
airports, while employers and insurance firms abandoned them at
the first signs of trouble.

"At present, hundreds of Indonesian workers are still stranded
in Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the
United Arab Emirates. No labor exporters or insurance firms have
extended help to them," he said.

He said he was disappointed with the labor exporters that were
only seeking profit while failing to protect the workers or
improve their welfare.

He said the labor export companies have rejected the
government's campaigns to cut red tape precisely because they
were afraid efficiency would reduce their profits.

Fahmi expressed hope the agency would help increase labor
exports, and help ease unemployment at home.

Around 1.2 million Indonesian workers are currently working
overseas sending home US$3.5 million annually.

Fahmi also revealed the ministry was currently over-staffed
with poor quality human resources, leading to inefficiency.
Expressing concern, he said the ministry offices across the
country could have been manned by only 9,000 of the current
23,000 staff.

More than 60 percent of them were high school graduates.

Fahmi said he gives his monthly salary of Rp 5 million to add
to the Rp 35 million tactical funds allocated for campaigns to
improve employees' welfare.

He said the same problem of overstaffing also affected other
ministries. (rms)