I proposed Rp3 trillion (around US$197.4 million) endowment fund to the government.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Head of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP2MI) Benny Rhamdani has underscored the need for setting up an endowment fund to increase the protection of Indonesian migrant workers and their families.

At a send-off event for migrant workers, which was followed online from here on Monday, he said the government needs to support efforts to increase the protection and welfare of Indonesian migrant workers, including their families, given their contribution to the national foreign exchange.

"I proposed Rp3 trillion (USD1 = around Rp15,191) endowment fund to the government," Rhamdani said.

He noted that the figure is small compared to the Rp230 trillion in foreign exchange contributed by Indonesian migrant workers in 2023 as per data from Bank Indonesia.

Giving an example, he said that in the neighboring country of the Philippines, there is a special fund for migrant workers. The fund, according to him, can be allocated for the protection of Indonesian workers in various countries.

The BP2MI head expressed the hope that the fund would be instituted and used to help migrant workers get better protection, including providing them assistance when they have an illness or face a disaster in the country of placement.

The fund could also be used to ensure the welfare of the migrant workers' families in the country, including guaranteeing their education and health.

Furthermore, he hoped that the fund would be used to help Indonesian migrant workers develop their own businesses after they return to Indonesia.

The fund could be managed by each relevant ministry or agency, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, and the Ministry of Health.

Based on BP2MI data, 23,197 Indonesian migrant worker placements to various countries were recorded in August 2024. The number showed a decline compared to 28,927 during the same period of the previous year.

In 2023, the agency recorded a total of 274,965 instances of Indonesian migrant worker placements, higher than the previous year's figure of 200,802.

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Translator: Prisca Triferna, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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