The distribution of BSU from 2020 to 2022 is still targeted at formal workers who are registered as active members of the Workers Social Security Agency (BPJS Ketenagakerjaan), he highlighted.
He said that the utilization of the agency's data will provide additional security given that the existing data has clear information.
"However, in terms of social protection, especially after the fuel oil (price) hike, everybody has realized that the impact of this rise will not only affect active members of BPJS Ketenagakerjaan who are formal workers," he added.
There are formal workers who are not registered with the agency yet and individuals within the informal category who are among the groups affected by the price hike the most, he noted.
Hence, the government must prepare a social economic cushion so that the fuel price hike does not create an income gap between those receiving the benefit and those who do not, he said.
A more inclusive coverage of the wage subsidy is expected to prevent a social gap from emerging between these workers, he explained.
During the event, the Indonesian Ombudsman also urged stakeholders to bolster coordination for wage subsidy distribution to avoid issues that the government encountered during BSU disbursement in 2020 and 2021.
Earlier, the Ministry of Manpower stipulated several eligibility criteria for BSU 2022 recipients, such as, they need to be active members of BPJS Ketenagakerjaan as of July 2022.
The ministry has estimated that the number of this year's wage subsidy recipient candidates has reached 14,639,675, with each worker receiving Rp600 thousand that will be distributed simultaneously.
The ministry aims to start the distribution of BSU 2022 this week.
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Translator: Prisca Triferna, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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