Jamsostek member

Jamsostek member

From Bisnis Indonesia

I have had an interesting experience as a member of Jamsostek's social security program. I became a Jamsostek member in 1990 when I started working at a private company. The premium was deducted from my salary every month.

Six years later (at the end of 1995), I quit the company and moved to an NGO. There are only four people working in this institution, including myself, on a contract basis and they have no social security system. Obviously my membership with Jamsostek was terminated.

A year later, I wanted to claim the amount I had contributed to Jamsostek during the time I worked at the private company. But I was advised by the Jamsostek office on Jl. Gatot Subroto that the money could only be claimed when a member retired. After arguing for some time, I was finally told to complete some requirements. I prepared all the documents needed, and was asked to come back a week later to receive payment. When I returned to the office, I was astonished to learn that I had no right to claim any money, even though I had paid the premiums for six years. Not to mention accrued interest.

According to Jamsostek, the company where I had worked had never transferred my premiums. So what then was my Jamsostek membership card for? I was helpless in this case. Yet I thank God for letting me know soon enough that my money with Jamsostek was nonexistent. My disappointment would be much greater if I had decided to wait until my retirement to claim benefits from Jamsostek.

My question is: Why did Jamsostek or the department of manpower not caution the company about withholding their workers' premiums?

ASRI ALJUFRI

Member No.91J10001534