Foreign Workers Under Obligation To Join BPJS

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - Manpower Minister M Hanif Dhakiri said here on Monday that companies employing foreign workers must register them with the BPJS Manpower and BPJS Health insurance programs.

"Every foreign worker working in Indonesia for more than six months must become a member of the social security programs run by the BPJS (Social Security Administration Agency)," he said when receiving the Supervisory Board of BPJS Manpower Insurance here on Monday.

It is obligatory for Indonesian and foreign workers to participate in the BPJS insurance schemes since this is the mandate of Law Number 40 of 2004 and Law Number 24 of 2011. The implementation of these laws is regulated by Manpower Minister's Regulation Number 16 of 2015 and Number 35 of 2015 regarding procedures to employ foreign workers.

Hanif said his office continues to cooperate with the BPJS to ensure that its manpower and health insurance programs cover more workers.

"We continue to familiarize the companies with our programs in a robust fashion and collect data about workers employed by these companies. Every business operator must report and register its workers as participants in the social security programs," he said.

The BPJS manpower insurance program has up to now served 19,275,061 active participants, including 18,093 foreign workers.

"We continue reminding companies to immediately register their workers, both foreign and domestic, so that they are covered in case of vocational accidents, death or retirement," he said.

President Joko Widodo installed the supervisory board and the board of directors of BPJS Health and Manpower for the period of 2016-2021 at the State Palace on February 3.

The supervisory board members include Guntur Witjaksono as chairman, Syafri Adnan Baharuddin, Eko Darwanto, Rekson Silaban, M Aditya Warman, Inda D Hasman and Poempida Hidayatulloh. (WDY)