Amelia Rahima Sari, Jakarta – Presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo said he was often discredited because the wage of workers in Central Java is the lowest in Indonesia. He also claimed to have solved the problem.
"I am often discredited for Central Java having the lowest labor wages," Ganjar said in his speech at the 100 Indonesian Economists event in South Jakarta on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023.
However, he added, many factories are relocating to Central Java, which is a sign of economic growth.
Citing from the province's official page jatengprov.go.id, the provincial minimum wage or UMP for Central Java in 2023 is indeed the lowest in the country at Rp1,958,169.69. This is an increase of 8.01 percent or Rp145,234.26 compared to the previous year's UMP of Rp1,812,935.
However, Ganjar said the Central Java government strived to overcome labor problems in the region, which he assessed consisted of four key issues.
"[Workers are] afraid that their children won't be able to go to school, their families won't get Jamkes (health insurance). They are worried about not getting good accommodation and burdened by high transportation costs," said the former Governor of Central Java.
Therefore, Ganjar said he designed several interventions to address the problems. First, the government provided free tuition fees for all workers' children, health insurance coverage of BPJS Kesehatan for all workers and families, and low-cost subsidized apartment buildings (rusunami) or low-cost rented apartment buildings (rusunawa) in industrial areas.
"Fourth, we set the ticket price of Trans Jateng buses at Rp2,000," Ganjar Pranowo said. "These solved their problems, helped them to save more, and transport smoothly."