West Kalimantan Province and BPJS Ketenagakerjaan Form Worker Protection Team
Pontianak — The West Kalimantan Provincial Government, together with BPJS Ketenagakerjaan, has established the Team for Optimisation of Increasing Universal Coverage of Employment Social Security (TOP UCJ) for West Kalimantan to strengthen cross-institutional cooperation in enhancing worker protection.
“This team will coordinate efforts to increase Universal Coverage of Employment Social Security in West Kalimantan Province, ensuring that targets are measurable, coordinated, and supported by clear task and function divisions for each team member,” said West Kalimantan Regional Secretary Harisson in Pontianak on Friday.
The team is also expected to serve as a pioneer at the provincial level that can become a model and reference for implementation across districts and cities in West Kalimantan.
“In West Kalimantan, of approximately 2.635 million workers, only about 720,877 workers are currently enrolled in the employment social security scheme, or roughly 27 per cent. Our target by the end of 2026 is for 45 per cent of workers in West Kalimantan to be enrolled,” Harisson explained.
The formation of this team also aims to ensure policy continuity and programme implementation, as well as to serve as a forum for aligning strategies for increasing Universal Coverage. This will ensure that policy directions, programmes, and operational steps between the province and districts/cities operate in harmony, effectively, and sustainably.
Harisson expressed appreciation to the Head of the West Kalimantan High Prosecutor’s Office, Emilwan Ridwan, and staff members of the High Prosecutor’s Office who initiated the formation of the TOP UCJ team. According to him, this team will accelerate the expansion of BPJS Ketenagakerjaan membership coverage.
He emphasised that workers who are members of BPJS Ketenagakerjaan receive numerous benefits, including work accident insurance, pension insurance, unemployment insurance, and death insurance. BPJS Ketenagakerjaan also provides scholarships to children of beneficiaries to pursue education from primary school through higher education.
Furthermore, Harisson explained that the West Kalimantan Provincial Government has issued West Kalimantan Governor Regulation Number 29 of 2024 concerning the implementation of the Employment Social Security Programme. This regulation aims to improve worker welfare whilst serving as a step in combating extreme poverty. The regulation stipulates that every employer and worker must enrol in the Employment Social Security Programme.
“Within the Provincial Government, employees, including contract workers, have already been enrolled. However, at the village level, such as village officials and village representative council members, further action is still needed as this falls under the authority of Regents or Mayors. The Governor, as the representative of the Central Government in the region, continues to urge that this be realised promptly,” he said.
At the same location, the Head of the West Kalimantan High Prosecutor’s Office, Emilwan Ridwan, also serving as Chairman of the Optimisation Team, emphasised the importance of expanding BPJS Ketenagakerjaan membership to provide worker protection, including coverage during retirement, work accidents, and provision of income for six months for workers experiencing dismissal until they find new employment.
“This aligns with what the President has instructed to 19 Ministers and Provincial Governors/Regional Leaders, including the Attorney General regarding enforcement compliance and law enforcement,” Emilwan said.
The Head of the BPJS Ketenagakerjaan West Kalimantan Regional Office, Ady Hendratta, expressed gratitude to the Head of the West Kalimantan High Prosecutor’s Office for directly leading this optimisation meeting and to the West Kalimantan Provincial Government for providing extraordinary support to BPJS Ketenagakerjaan.
“It is hoped that the Heads of District Prosecutor’s Offices across West Kalimantan will subsequently be able to hold similar meetings at the district and city levels,” he said.