"The transfer of Rp1 trillion of Askes` funds to AJII will reduce the capital and assets of PT Askes that will merge into the health sector of BPJS," Public Service Monitoring Coordinator of the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) Febri Hendri said here on Friday.
He said that the reduction of Askes` funds was feared to disturb the performance of Askes, which could cover the health social insurance of all Indonesians.
On the occasion, Febri who was accompanied by the Secretary General of BPJS Watch Timbul Siregar, came to meet a public relations officer of the state-owned Enterprise Ministry, Rudi Rusli, to submit a document on an alleged violation committed by PT Askes in the run-up to the establishment of BPJS.
On October 28, 2011, the House of Representatives passed the bill on BPJS.
The law required four state-owned firms on social insurance services, particularly PT Jamsostek, PT Taspen, PT Asabri and PT Askes, to merge into two corporations; BPJS on Health Affairs and BPJS on Manpower.
The BPJS on Health Affairs will go into operations beginning on January 2014, while the BPJS on Manpower will start operations on July 1, 2015.
Febri added that during the establishment process of BPJS, deputy minister for state-owned enterprise ministry Parikesi Suprapto agreed to the transfer of Akses funds amounting to Rp1 trillion on the pretext of optimizing and boosting the growth of AJII.
"We suspect that capital participation is an effort by the government to maintain the health insurance business, which has so far been under the control of Askes. If AJII develops well its status is likely to change to a state-owned firm (BUMN). Thus, the government will still have a role to play in the health insurance sector," he said.
Meanwhile, Secretary General of BPJS Watch, Timbul Siregar said that the capital participation of Rp1 trillion from Askes was against the spirit of social insurance carried out by Askes.
"If the subsidiary company breaks away from Askes, it will cause the insurance participants to lose the benefits from the funds because the profit of AJII does not belong to Askes or to BPJS on Health anymore," he added.
Therefore, Timbul said, the ICW and BPJS Watch urged the state-owned Enterprise Ministry to issue a statement to the public that AJII will not be transformed into a state-owned firm, but remain part of Askes, which merged into BPJS on Health.
(Uu.A014/INE/KR-BSR/A014)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
