Jakarta – The government has paid a total of Rp 2.8 billion (US$303,753) in subsidies over the past five months for 8,100 informal workers to take part in social security programs at state-owned insurance company PT Jamsostek.

Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar said on Sunday that informal workers from nine provinces were registered with health care, occupational accident and death benefit plans due to financial incapacity.

"The granting of subsidies is aimed at raising the awareness of workers in the importance of social security protection and attracting more workers in the informal sector to take part in the social security programs," he said.

Under the 1992 social security program law and Ministerial Decree No. 24/2006 on guidelines of social security programs in Indonesia, companies having at least ten workers or paying at least Rp 1 million in monthly salaries to their workers are required to register their workers with Jamsostek.

"The granting of a social security subsidy is expected to create a feeling of safety and to attract more informal workers to pay their monthly payroll, at least to the three programs," he said.

So far, only 9.5 million of 35 million formal workers and around 670,000 of 77 million informal workers, mainly in small-scale enterprises and agriculture and plantation sectors, have been registered with Jamsostek.