Tangerang home to 428 foreign workers

Tangerang home to 428 foreign workers

TANGERANG: The number of foreign workers living in Tangerang
increased to 428 in December 2002 from 380 the year before,
according to data from the manpower agency.

The chief of the foreign workers placement and control
department at the agency, Abdul Hadi Supradinata, said on
Thursday that 158 workers are from South Korea, 77 are from
Taiwan and 73 are from Japan.

The office also listed 23 workers from India, 21 from China,
nine from Singapore, eight from the Philippines, seven from the
United Kingdom, six from the Netherlands, six from Germany, six
from Malaysia, six from Australia, five from Italy, four from
Switzerland, three from Sri Lanka, three from America and one
from Myanmar. The other foreign workers include one Spaniard, one
French citizen, one Irish national and one New Zealander.

Many firms hire foreigners due to a lack of local experts and
because foreign investors also lack trust in local workers, said
Supradinata.

"That does not necessarily mean that this nation is not smart.
Foreign businessmen believe foreign workers are more capable of
handling the work, especially in dealing with technical matters
since they are professionals in their fields," he said.

Meanwhile, the agency chief, Adang Turwana, said that
expatriates were only allowed to work in marketing, technical and
sales fields, or to sit on the board of directors.

He said foreigners were not allowed to work in a human
resources department or the management field as stipulated by Law
No. 358/1995 on the placement of foreign workers. --JP