Antara, Koran Tempo, Jakarta – President Joko Widodo or Jokowi's decision to require all workers to participate in the Public Housing Savings or Tapera program is considered to be well-intentioned but cannot be implemented in an equal manner.
"Housing for workers is important, but it's also important not to let it become a burden. We must consider that not all companies are healthy," said Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Arsjad Rasjid on Wednesday, May 29, 2024.
Tapera will take effect from 2027, with private employees required to pay 2.5 percent of their salary, while the company will cover 0.5 percent so that a worker has 3 percent savings every month.
According to Arsjad, the Tapera policy is good to help workers own a house, but cannot be applied equally to all companies. "There are unhealthy companies too, that's why Kadin always emphasizes the balance between entrepreneurs and workers," said Arsjad as quoted by Antara.
President Jokowi inked the regulations regarding Tapera on Monday, May 20. The worker groups obliged to take part in this program are civil services, the military forces, the national police, SOE workers, and private workers.
Tapera Management Agency (BP Tapera) will manage the workers' savings and later be returned to the individuals. BP Tapera Commissioner, Heru Pudyo Nugroho, previously said that the concept of Tapera participation is similar to the national health insurance program currently managed by BPJS Health.
Rejection of Tapera came from various parties, including business circles. General Chair of the Indonesian Employers' Association (Apindo) Shinta Kamdani said this policy was burdensome for workers and business players.
"This burden is getting heavier due to the depreciation of the rupiah and weakening market demand," he said as quoted by Koran Tempo, May 30 edition. Additionally, employers themselves have paid 18.24-19.74 percent of contributions from their income, including 3.7 percent for old-age insurance, one of the benefits of which is financing assistance for housing.
Former Vice President Jusuf Kalla stated that Tapera helps underprivileged people to own affordable housing. He said Tapera is not a new policy but is revived by the government so new employees who are still on contract can have their own homes.
"New employees who are still renting a place to live could save up and own their own houses," he said. He supports the government's revival of the Tapera policy so that every citizen has a home.
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1873918/kadin-responds-to-govt-public-housing-savings-tapera-polic