Jamsostek claims payments being held up by companies

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

State-owned insurance company PT Jamsostek has called on companies in tsunami-ravaged Aceh to provide lists of workers victimized in the disaster, in order to speed up the payment of claims to the victims' relatives.

Mustafa Zaenal, chief of Jamsostek's branch office in Banda Aceh said here on Sunday that his company had delivered blank forms to all companies registered in the social security programs to fill out.

"Most companies that have workers registered with Jamsostek have not yet returned the forms so we can't pay the death and occupational accidents benefits to workers who were killed or injured," he explained.

He said officials from Jamsostek had visited numerous companies whose workers were killed or injured in the disaster to ask them to return the forms soon, but most were unable to because they were still trying to figure out how many workers were victimized.

Many companies were still reluctant to hand over a list at this time because the search for missing workers was still ongoing, he claimed.

Mustafa said that Jamsostek had given two months, or until Feb. 26, for the companies to give them the lists to avoid any more delays.

Jamsostek has allocated Rp 96.8 billion for the insurance claims to thousands of workers, who they estimate were killed or injured.

According to Law No. 3/1992 on social security programs, Jamsostek must pay Rp 6 million in death benefits and 42 times the gross monthly salaries in occupational accident benefits.

"Jamsostek plans to pay death benefits to workers's relatives who were killed when they were off-duty during the disaster and pays both death and occupational accident benefits," said Mustafa.

He added that the claim for insurance payments would increase from Feb. 26, two months after the disaster, because companies were expected to complete the inventory of their workers killed or injured in the disaster.

Mustafa also pointed out that a faster benefit payment process could help the Aceh economy recover. "Many displaced persons have nothing to start a new life with because they have lost their relatives and assets, especially houses and businesses in the disaster. The province's economy can be revived sooner if Jamsostek is able to identify and pay the beneficiaries all Rp 96 billion," he said.

Several people reported that they had received money already from PT Jamsostek.

Isnaini, head of the administrative section at the local tap water company, said several women whose husbands were killed in the disaster had received between Rp 12 million (US$1,333) and Rp 40 million from Jamsostek. They said that they had used the funds as capital for new businesses and to send their children to school.

Mariaiyah who received more than Rp 40 million following the death of her husband, said she had used a part of the money to start buying and selling basic commodities at the local market and put aside another part to finance the education of her five children.

Mariaiyah's husband was one of the more than 230,000 people killed or missing in the Dec. 26 tsunami disaster.