Pension payday, joy for the elderly
Pension payday, joy for the elderly
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Sutardjo, 70, made a one-and-half-hour journey by foot on his
bare feet on Friday from his home on Jl. Manggarai Selatan II,
Central Jakarta, to the Jatinegara Post Office in East Jakarta.
The fourth day of every month is a day that he greatly
anticipates. Not only because he rarely goes out as he has to run
all household chores and nurse his ailing wife, but mainly
because it is pension day.
"The amount is not much ... but enough," Sutardjo told The
Jakarta Post while he was waiting his turn at the post office.
He retired on Jan. 1, 1996 after working 39 years for state
railway company PT KAI as a janitor at Manggarai Station.
His pension is less than Rp 400,000 a month.
He has two children, and has buried two others. One of them
fell ill and died when it was three years, while the other died
in a road accident at the age of 21.
His oldest daughter is a housewife and his son just entered
the workforce as a porter.
Pensions are disbursed to retired public servants or their
heirs at particular post offices. Each pensioner is paid between
the 4th and the 9th of the month.
Last year there were 41,315 pensioners in Greater Jakarta area
who received a total payment of about Rp 25.8 billion per month
through post offices.
The seating area near the pensioners' counter at Jatinegara
Post Office was especially crowded on Friday because only one
attendant out of the usual three was on duty. But the pensioners
appeared unbothered by the two to three-hour wait.
"I'm not in a rush," said Tumirah Hadipranoto, 56, who had
been waiting an hour to collect her late husband's pension. Her
husband retired from the Jakarta air transportation agency in
1984.
Walking in alone, Tumirah came prepared with a bottle of
drinking water. Four of her six children still live at home with
her in Kayumanis, East Jakarta. All four have jobs, while the
other two are married and live out of town.
"My children pay all of our living expenses. I use some of my
husband's pension for arisan (tontine) contribution," she told
the Post.
Also a retiree of PT KAI, Sudarman, 63, played with his
grandchild Triadi in the post office.
"One of my grandchildren always come with me on the fourth day
of every month. Fortunately, it doesn't happen every day because
things could get out of hand if they wanted me to buy them toys
or snacks as soon as I receive my pension," he said.
Across from the post office is a street market where toys,
clothes and snacks are sold. There are also a number of street
vendors selling clothing, sarongs, belts, sandals and housewares.
They usually display their merchandise on plastic sheeting
outside the post office on pension day.
With three spoiled grandchildren and his youngest child still
at high school, Sudarman claimed he had to budget tightly to meet
all expenses with his Rp 600,000 (US$67) pension.
Sopiah, 60, whose late husband was in the Navy, said she was
not the only one in her family who looked forward to pension day.
"My grandchild, Luki ... he is seven ... wanted to come to the
post office with me, but he had to go to school. He wants me to
bring him soda and toys," she said.