Despite mounting criticisms, Indonesia’s Finance Ministry has refused to budge on the premium pay assistance amount the government would pay under the new social security scheme, and labor unions have responded by planning another massive protest. 

The Ministry of Health and the National Social Security Council (DJSN) have been pushing for Rp 22,200 a month each for 96.4 million poor and near-poor people to benefit from the Premium Payment Assistance (PBI) program. 

But the Finance Ministry has maintained that Rp 15,500 per month for 86.4 million poor and near-poor people was all the 2014 State Budget could afford.  

“We have decided on this amount for the initial stage, and then we’ll see first how the health workers and health facilities provide the services [based on this amount]. Later, we might raise the premium,” he said.  

“We also have to evaluate the use and effectiveness of Jamkesmas [previous state health insurance for the poor]. We have to be very careful.”  

The Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) has warned that with such a low premium, doctors and health facilities would be underpaid, affecting the quality of health services provided to the public.  

Agus added that the Finance Ministry also needed to pay the premium for active and retired soldiers, police officers and civil servants.

“We can't just allocate a high premium and forget about our fiscal stability,” he added.

Said Iqbal, the secretary general of the Social Security Action Committee (KAJS), said labor unions would stage another massive rally to demonstrate their opposition to the Finance Ministry's decision.

“On April 10, 10,000 workers will rally in Jakarta to demand the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of People's Welfare to maintain their stance. The PBI should stay at Rp 22,200 per person per month as proposed before, and it should cover 150 million people instead of just 86.4 million,” he told the Jakarta Globe on Thursday.

Said added that people who receive the minimum wage should also be covered by the scheme.

He said KAJS would approach the House of Representatives’ Commission IX, which oversees health and social affairs, to ask for its support.

“Because this concerns the state budget, the decision is in the hands of House Commission IX and the president, so our fight is not yet over,” he said.

The 2014 State Budget, he added, should not be used as an excuse because the government made a commitment to implement the Social Security Law when it was passed in November 2011.

“As mandated by the 2009 Health Law, the health budget should be at least 5 percent of the total state budget, which means we should have at least Rp 75 trillion annually. This should be more than enough to pay Rp 22,200 per person per month for 150 million people,” he said.

“Once the president signed the law, he and his cabinet are obliged to comply. Using the budget as an excuse is ridiculous and we will fight it,” he said.

source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com