"We, from the implementing side, believe that this policy certainly has a very good aim for the welfare of workers," the finance director of BPJSTK, Asep Rahmat Suwandha, told mediapersons in Jakarta on Monday.
Regarding the influence of the Tapera program in terms of the number of participants and funds managed by BPJSTK, Suwandha said that his agency cannot yet provide any details about the policy considering it is still relatively new.
BPJSTK also requires to discuss it further with the Tapera Management Agency.
"We have been discussing more about how to participate. Tapera has participants, we also have participants, (we need to determine) how to synchronize the existing benefits. This (the Tapera program) is a new policy," he explained.
Meanwhile, BPJSTK is providing opportunities for participants to own housing through the additional service benefits (MLTs) of the housing program.
The MLTs, Suwandha informed, have been offered for a long time, as regulated by Government Regulation (PP) Number 46 of 2015 concerning the Implementation of the Old Age Security Program (JHT).
This is also stated in the Minister of Manpower's Regulation (Permenaker) Number 17 of 2021 concerning Amendments to Permenaker Number 35 of 2016 concerning Procedures for Providing, Requirements, and Types of Additional Service Benefits.
Suwnadha said that the Tapera and MLT programs are based on different concepts. Tapera is a public housing savings account, while BPJSTK's MLT is an additional program to expand the benefits.
So far, only around 4 thousand participants have received MLT housing program benefits, he added.
There are four types of MLTs that can be accessed by BPJSTK participants — home ownership credit (KPR), housing down payment loans (PUMP), housing renovation loans (PRP), and workers' housing financing facilities/construction credit (FPPP/KK).
"This (MLT) is already underway. Since last year, we have been collaborating with banks. So we have trade subsidies from BPJS, then we collaborate with banks and distribute at least three (categories)," Suwandha informed.
"One, for housing, the maximum ceiling is 500 million. Two, for renovations of 200 million. Three, housing down payment of 150 million," he added.
Based on the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN), BPJSTK's target is to increase the number of active participants to around 53.5 million, and so far, the figure has reached around 40 million, Suwandha said.
In the future, BPJSTK will focus on membership, especially in the non-wage earner (BPU) category.
Earlier, the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) rejected the implementation of Government Regulation (PP) Number 21 of 2024 concerning Amendments to PP Number 25 of 2020 concerning the Implementation of Tapera.
Chairperson of Apindo, Shinta Kamdani, said that the PP, which was passed on May 20, 2024, duplicates the previous program on MLT for workers' housing for participants of the Old Age Security (JHT) program.
"The additional burden for workers is 2.5 percent and employers 0.5 percent of salary (for the Tapera program), which is not necessary because they can use funding sources from BPJS Employment funds," she expounded.
Apindo then expects the government to further optimize BPJSTK's MLT funds, whose maximum ceiling has been set at 30 percent or about Rp138 trillion (US$8.5 billion) by the PP.
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Translator: Rizka Khaerunnisa, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Arie Novarina
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