NTB Provincial Government Prepares Rp10 Billion KUR for Prospective Migrant Workers

Mataram (ANTARA) - The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) provincial government is preparing a special People’s Business Credit (KUR) scheme for prospective migrant workers from NTB, with an initial budget allocation of Rp10 billion.

“The initial budget allocation is Rp10 billion, with the potential for additions based on needs and programme developments,” said the Head of the NTB Manpower and Transmigration Office, Aidy Furqon, in a statement in Mataram on Tuesday.

Aidy explained that the KUR scheme for migrant workers from NTB is in collaboration with Bank NTB Syariah, a regional-owned enterprise.

The NTB government does not provide cash directly to migrant workers applying for business credit.

The financing process is delivered in an integrated manner, encompassing recruitment, job training, social and health insurance, visa and passport processing, and work permits.

According to Aidy, the scheme is designed to ensure prospective migrant workers receive protection from the initial departure stage and to minimise the potential for non-procedural practices, which have long been an issue.

“They are not given cash. The financing is channelled through official recruitment and labour placement institutions,” he stated.

Furthermore, Aidy conveyed that the NTB government, together with Bank NTB Syariah, is currently drafting regulations for the migrant worker KUR to provide a strong legal foundation before its official launch.

The integrated financing scheme represents a strategic step by the NTB government in building a safer, more structured, and sustainable governance system for the placement of migrant workers.

Based on data from the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP3MI) for 2025, 25,062 residents of West Nusa Tenggara departed as legal migrant workers.

The largest contribution of migrant workers comes from East Lombok Regency with 12,029 people, followed by Central Lombok Regency with 7,156 people, West Lombok Regency with 4,625 people, North Lombok Regency with 702 people, and the City of Mataram with 637 people.

Malaysia is the primary destination country for the placement of migrant workers from West Nusa Tenggara, with 23,685 people.

From January to December 2025, the Central Statistics Agency recorded the value of remittances or money transfers sent by migrant workers to their families in NTB at Rp221.46 billion.