Placement of Indonesian Workers in Taiwan, Prokes Strictly Monitored

ptgentakaryasejahtera.com – Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) are starting to smile. This is because a number of neighboring countries have begun to open the faucet for accepting migrant workers from Indonesia. One of the requests came from Taiwan.

Minister of Manpower Ida Fauziyah revealed this in a Press Release of the Public Relations Bureau of the Ministry of Manpower (Kemenaker) in Jakarta, November 9, 2021. In the broadcast, Ida revealed, the Taiwanese Government had reopened the placement of Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) after experiencing suspension since December 4, 2020 because the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Taiwanese authorities opened the placement of PMI candidates to Taiwan, on November 11, 2021.

According to Ida Fauziyah, Director of the Taiwan Ministry of Manpower’s Manpower Development Agency, Tsai Meng-liang stated that Indonesia’s preparations for efforts to prevent the Covid-19 pandemic have been completed. Tsai also promised to strictly supervise the implementation of preventive work by the Indonesian Migrant Worker Placement Company (P3MI).

Ida Fauziyah explained that the Taiwanese authorities had prepared a special program plan for the placement of migrant workers and had submitted it to the National Health Command Center (NHCC). The implementation of the program plan requires collaboration and intense cooperation from both parties, namely Indonesia and Taiwan. “Indonesia is the first partner to be invited to discuss matters that need to be prepared in the plan to relocate migrant workers to Taiwan,” said Ida Fauziyah.

Ida Fauziyah explained, if the Indonesian side had completed the preparations for the prevention of the pandemic, the Taiwanese side for the first stage would accept the placement of 1,700 PMIs, 850 each in the formal sector and the domestic sector. “The Taiwanese side recommends that the Indonesian side and arrangements for migrant workers start entering Taiwan from November 11 to 23, 2021,” he said.

Ida Fauziyah emphasized that the Taiwanese side’s special policy was based on considering the lack of manpower in the industry in Taiwan, so for the sake of economic development in the country and to meet the workforce needs, the Taiwanese side submitted a proposal for a placement plan to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) to obtain approval for the placement of PMI.

The Taiwanese authorities also highly appreciate the success of the Indonesian government in reducing the number of Covid-19 cases. “With the re-opening of PMI placements, on behalf of the Indonesian government, we would like to thank the Taiwanese authorities for the good cooperation so far,” said the Minister of Manpower.

For information, there are more than 6,000 PMIs whose departures to Taiwan have been delayed due to Covid-19. The Ministry of Manpower has done things that have caught the attention of the Taiwanese authorities, both from the revision of the P3MI and LPK-LN SOPs, PCR tests for PMI candidates, strict quarantine and P3MI/LPK-LN physical checks.

The Secretary of the Consular Division as well as the representative of TETO Yenying Su conveyed his appreciation to the Ministry of Manpower for the collaboration with TETO to be able to visit several P3MI and LPK LNs in Bekasi and Cirebon, West Java. Regarding the implementation of health care standards, according to him, it is sufficient to meet the applicable SOPs, it just needs a little additional improvement, but he believes that the Ministry of Manpower will continue to evaluate so that it can be improved.

Meanwhile the Director General of Binapenta & PKK of the Ministry of Manpower Suhartono said that on September 27, 2021 the Ministry of Manpower had issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) to the Indonesian Migrant Worker Placement Company (P3MI) and the Overseas Job Training Institute (LPK-LN). Suhartono added, after the issuance of the SOP, the Ministry of Manpower together with the Presidential Staff Office, BP2MI, and representatives of TETO (The Taipei Economic and Trade Office) conducted a three-day roadshow, starting on October 5, 2021 to P3MI/LPK-LN, both in Java Province. West, Central Java and East Java.

The goal is to ensure that P3MI/LPK-LN have implemented the health protocols (prokes) as expected by the Taiwan Authority. Suhartono emphasized that the Ministry of Manpower was very serious in monitoring the progress of P3MI and LPK-LN. Not only the facilities, but also PMI candidates who will go to placement countries. This is important because these PMI candidates indirectly carry the name of Indonesia. “We will continue to monitor and take firm action if there are P3MI/LPK-LNs who do not comply with the applicable health protocols,” Suhartono said.

Please note, on December 4, 2020, the Taiwanese authorities through the Ministry of Labor (MoL) officially announced the ban on PMI from entering Taiwan in line with the high number of positive Covid-19 cases in Indonesia. On that basis, the Government of Indonesia through the Ministry of Manpower took a policy to temporarily close the placement of PMIs to be placed in Japan and Taiwan through the Circular Letter of the Minister of Manpower Number M/1/PK.02.03/I/2021 regarding the Process of Placement of PMIs to Japan and Taiwan.