No threat from foreign worker: manpower minister

Manpower Minister, Hanif Dhakiri, has appealed to the public not to worry about foreign workers employed in the country, arguing that the government will always control their numbers.

"There is no threat from foreign workers so the public need not worry. In fact, the number of foreign workers in Indonesia is only some 100 thousand compared to the Indonesian population of some 260 million," he said in Jakarta on Monday.

The number of foreign workers in Indonesia is relatively small compared to the number of foreign workers employed in other countries, he said.

He said the government has a scheme in place to control foreign workers. In order to work in Indonesia, they must hold certain posts by securing work permits and permits to stay for a certain period of time.

Commenting on the manpower minister's regulation on certain posts held by foreign workers, he said the regulation is aimed at simplifying the licensing procedure in the manpower sector rather than expanding the access of foreign workers to work in the country.

"So, all licensing procedures in Indonesia must be simplified," he said.

The regulation is the simplification of the manpower minister's 19 decrees concerning the posts of foreign workers employed in the country, he said.

It seems that there were many posts held by foreign workers, while in fact, the regulation is the simplification of the 19 ministerial decrees, he said.  

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