Company’s Active Role Crucial

KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO

Workers sterilize booths after BP Jamsostek participants communicate with service officers through a monitor screen and without direct contact when processing claims at the BPJamsostek Branch Office at the Jamsostek Tower, South Jakarta, on Tuesday (23/6/2020).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS —The active role of a company determines the fate of its employees whether or not they meet the criteria for receiving wage subsidies from the government. This is because the verification process for recipients is carried out in layers with a series of requirements, such as membership in the social security program, bank account number and wage status.

As of Friday afternoon (21/8/2020), the Workers Social Security Agency (BPJS Ketenagakerjaan) has collected 13.6 million bank account numbers of workers with a net salary of under Rp 5 million (US$338.33) per month, which is one of the conditions for beneficiaries of the wage subsidy. In total, there are 15.7 million active participants of BPJS Ketenagakerjaan who are targeted as potential beneficiaries of the wage assistance. However, only 7.5 million workers have been validated and are ready to receive the wage subsidy.

Also read: No Coverage for Non-BPJS Workers

BPJS Ketenagakerjaan president director Agus Susanto said the verification process was carried out in three stages to ensure that the wage assistance was right on target, could help workers increase their purchasing power and promote economic recovery amid the pandemic.

The three stages are: first, external verification through cooperation with 127 banks to check the validity of the participant’s account numbers. Second, internal verification in BPJS Ketenagakerjaan with reference to the criteria stipulated in Manpower Ministerial Regulation (Permenaker) No. 14/2020 concerning the guidelines for providing government assistance in the form of wage subsidies for workers/laborers in handling the impact of COVID-19.

Third, internal verification by cross-checking the bank account numbers and the employees’ details at BPJS Ketenagakerjaan. From the results of this latest step, we know that there are 7.5 million workers whose account numbers are valid, meet the criteria of the Manpower Ministry, and their account number and membership number at BPJS Ketenagakerjaan are a match.

This is because some workers whose account number and membership data are invalid are told to return to the company to correct and revalidate the data.

Given the verification process, Agus added, the active role of the company was needed to expedite the process of distributing wage subsidies. Companies are asked to be active and move fast. This is because some workers whose account number and membership data are invalid are told to return to the company to correct and revalidate the data.

"From the verification, a lot of [data] is invalid. For example, many companies send the account numbers of the workers whose names are different from the name recorded at BPJS Ketenagakerjaan or several participants use one account number. It could be that these workers do not have an account and thus, use someone else\'s account number,” said Agus.

"So, please, companies should help employees make their own bank account," he said.

The role of the company is also needed to validate data on workers\' account numbers and ensure the validity of their net wage status. This data will be reconfirmed by the BPJS Ketenagakerjaan branch office to each company. This is because several participants were ultimately rejected because they did not meet the criteria, such as their wages were not below Rp 5 million.

Also read: 2021 State Budget Focuses on Acceleration of Economic Recovery

The opportunity has also served as a warning for companies to actively register their workers for BPJS Ketenagakerjaan membership in accordance with the law.

"If they [workers] are not registered with the BPJS and the employees get into an accident, who will be responsible? It is the employer who must pay the entire [medical treatment]," said Agus.

Take the risk

Chairman of the Indonesian Employers\' Association, Hariyadi Sukamdani, said he had already distributed circulars to member companies to immediately register their workers in the wage subsidy assistance program. If during the process they find some problems related to the validity and legality of the data, such as salary information that does not match the reality, the company should fix it.

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO

Chairman of the Indonesian Employers\' Association, Hariyadi Sukamdani

Hariyadi also asked BPJS Ketenagakerjaan not to be too rigid in the data verification process, for example providing concessions to companies that have difficulty paying dues and have been in arrears for the last few months.

"This should not be used as a requirement that ultimately makes things difficult and takes a long time," he said.

According to Hariyadi, a number of companies have had difficulty registering their workers at BPJS Ketenagakerjaan due to cash flow and liquidity problems. The company must provide 10.24 to 11.74 percent of the company\'s cash to pay BPJS Ketenagakerjaan contributions for its workers who are under its responsibility.

In addition, there is also an extra burden in the form of contribution for the Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) for the workers and a reserved severance pay as well as an increase in wages for workers.

"If all companies are fully compliant, it will be quite difficult, although ideally, this is the case," he said.