Manokwari – The West Papua Provincial Government provides labor social security protection for 30 thousand informal workers of indigenous Papuans who are categorized as vulnerable workers.
Acting Governor of West Papua Ali Baham Temongmere in Manokwari on Saturday said the local government is obliged to allocate a budget for social protection programs for informal workers.
This is regulated through Regional Regulation (Perda) Number 01 of 2022 concerning Optimizing the Implementation of the Employment BPJS Program, and Special Regional Regulation Number: 02 of 2022 concerning Protection of Informal Workers of Indigenous Papuans.
“We provide social protection programs specifically for informal workers of indigenous Papuans,” Ali said after the ceremony commemorating the 25th Anniversary of West Papua Province.
He explained that thousands of vulnerable workers registered by local governments as participants in the jamsostek program for the July-December 2024 period were spread across seven districts in West Papua, including Manokwari 9,623 workers, South Manokwari 923 workers, Arfak Mountains 2,855 workers, Teluk Bintuni 4,703 workers, Teluk Wondama 2,465 workers, Fakfak 8,352 workers, and Kaimana 1,079 workers.
“Of course, in stages. If it is still not enough, we will add more vulnerable workers and this will continue,” said Ali Baham.
Gery Dame Malelak, head of the Manokwari Social Security Agency, explained that the local provincial government includes 30,000 vulnerable workers in the work accident and death insurance programs.
The total budget for the two social security programs accommodated by the provincial government through the West Papua 2024 APBD is IDR 3.024 billion, and will continue until 2025.
“So that vulnerable workers such as fishermen, farmers, betel nut sellers, and motorcycle taxi drivers, can be protected with two social security programs,” Gery explained.
According to him, the coverage of BPJS Employment membership is also listed in the West Papua Regional Long-Term Development Plan (RPJPD) document for 2025-2045.
The commitment to provide protection to vulnerable workers of indigenous Papuans has been realized by the West Papua Provincial Government since 2020 which is collaborated with the ‘hand of love’ program.
“In 2023 it was stopped, and this year the provincial government again budgeted the costs of two social security programs for indigenous Papuan vulnerable workers,” said Gery.
Based on the Job Creation Law, he said, local governments are obliged to include formal and informal workers in the jamsostek protection program every year.
There are four types of social security programs with the aim of minimizing risks for workers and families, namely work accident insurance (JKK), death insurance (JKM), old age insurance (JHT), and pension insurance (JP).