Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Businessmen Association (Apindo) has thrown its weight behind the governments plan to raise the 2017 provincial minimum wages by 8.25 percent based on government regulation number 78 of 2015.

"We, the businessmen, have agreed that the government regulation was issued through a process involving all parties. As it has been issued, we must comply with it," Apindo co-chief Shinta W Kamdani said here on Wednesday.

As the policy has been jointly agreed upon, all sides including workers must abide by it, Shinta, who is also deputy chief of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) for international relations said.

"That has been agreed upon jointly rather than arbitrarily. I dont see if workers still want other wage hike than we have agreed upon," she said.

She expressed the hope that the refusal of the workers wage hikes will not have a detrimental impact on the national investment climate.

She said workers rallies demanding more wage hike will confuse investors.

"Certainty about provincial minimum wage hike will give certainty to businessmen to make a good plan," she said.

She further expressed regret over the fact that some regional heads did not comply with the ruling.

"This year Manpower Minister (Hanif Dhakiri) wants to be firm so they must comply with it," he said.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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