“In this first phase, we have finished distributing (BSU) to 4,112,052 workers out of the 4.3 million (who are targeted) on Wednesday,” Fauziyah stated at the Merdeka Palace here on Friday.
The minister explained that the remaining 249,740 workers listed in the first phase of BSU beneficiaries had yet to receive the aid, as they had not cleared the verification process in the banking stage.
Nevertheless, she ensured that the government will continue to distribute BSU to these workers through two options, either to open an account in state-run banks -- Bank Negara Indonesia, Bank Rakyat Indonesia, Bank Mandiri, and Bank Tabungan Negara -- or through state-run postal company PT Pos Indonesia.
The minister emphasized that BSU is a policy based on President Joko Widodo's directive to maintain the purchasing power of workers in meeting needs amid price hikes.
To be eligible for receiving BSU, one must be an Indonesian citizen (WNI) and not a civil servant (PNS) or a member of the Indonesian Military-Police (TNI-Polri) and be an active participant of the workers' social security program from the Workers Social Security Agency (BPJS Ketenagakerjaan) at least until July 2022.
Moreover, BSU recipients are workers earning a maximum salary of Rp3.5 million per month, or equivalent to the rounded up provincial or district- or city-level minimum wages.
"For instance, workers in Jakarta earning a minimum wage of Rp4.7 million per month still receive wage subsidy assistance. This applies nationally, so it is different from the 2021 wage subsidy that is based on the PPKM (Community Activities Restrictions) Level," she pointed out.
The BSU beneficiaries will be paid Rp600 thousand once in lump sum, Fauzyah stated.
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Translator: Gilang G, Kenzu T
Editor: Sri Haryati
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