Jokowi revises regulation of Pre-employment Card Program, not qualified participants must return incentive funds

Last updated on May 6th, 2021 at 10:28 am

With the emergence of a number of controversies, the Pre-employment Card Program was suspended. However, the government will resume the Pre-employment Card Program by revising new rules.

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo finally revised the implementing regulations for the Pre-employment Card Program as stipulated in Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 76 of 2020 concerning Amendments to Perpres 36/2020 concerning Work Competency Development through the Pre-employment Card Program.

The regulation states that the selection of the Digital Platform and Training institutions in the Pre-employment Card is not within the scope of government procurement of goods/services but still takes into account the objectives, principles, and ethics of procurement of government services.

“The granting and implementation of benefits referred to in Article 4 and the selection of Digital Platforms and Training institutions as referred to in Article 6 paragraph (2) do not fall within the scope of government procurement of goods/services but still pay attention to the objectives, principles, and ethics of government service goods procurement,” Article 31A says.

Article 31C of the regulation stipulates new provisions for the Pre-employment Card participants who are not in accordance with the conditions but have received assistance with training costs.

Participants who do not qualify and have received assistance with training costs are required to return the incentives.

“The provisions referred to in Article 3 paragraph (2), paragraph (3), paragraph (4), and paragraph (5) and who have received training costs as referred to in Article 8 shall return the assistance for training costs and or incentives to the state, ” the rule says as quoted by Kompas.com, Friday, July 10.

According to these rules, participants are required to return training fees within 60 days. If not returned, the executive management will sue for compensation.

As informed, the Pre-employment Card Program is aimed at job seekers or workers/laborers affected by layoffs, laid-off workers/laborers, and non-wage workers, including micro and small business operators.

The job seeker must meet the requirements of having Indonesian citizenship, at least 18 years old, and not currently pursuing formal education.

In this program, the government has prepared a budget of Rp20 trillion. It is hoped that such a large budget can target 5.6 million participants.

Each participant of the Pre-employment Card receives an incentive fund of Rp 3.55 million. The details are Rp. 1 million for training costs, Rp. 2.4 million incentives for 4 months, and Rp. 150,000 as incentives after completing surveys related to the training undertaken.

Further explained, the Pre-employment Card can not be given to state officials, DPRD leaders and members, the State Civil Apparatus (ASN), members of the TNI, Polri, village heads and their apparatus, and directors, commissioners and supervisory boards of State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) or Regionally-owned Enterprises (ROEs).

Furthermore, the Pre-employment Card recipients who intentionally falsify their identity and/or personal data, the Managing Manager of the Pre-employment Card Program submit criminal charges that can be combined with claims for compensation in accordance with statutory provisions. This is as stated in the original 31D of the regulation.