The Head of the National Agency for Placement and Protection of Indonesian Overseas Workers (BNP2TKI), Jumhur Hidayat, promised to reduce the cost for the placement of Indonesian Migrant Workers in Hong Kong to Rp 19 billion. His promise was made when he visited Hong Kong in March 2012. The reduction on the placement cost will have been performed by 1 May 2012. If the salary of the BMIs used to be cut as much as HK$ 3000 (Rp. 3.510.000,-) continuously for 7 months, now the scheme changes into six months-cut and the BMIs will receive the remainder as much as HK$ 1037 permonth.

Dirjen Binapenta (Director General of Development and Employment Placement) itself once issued a Decision Decree (Surat Keputusan (SK)) Number 186 year 2008 that “the cost for BMI placement to Hong Kong is Rp 15.5 billion.” But, the findngs in the field within year 2008 after the Decision Decree was issued until now show that the cost for BMI placement remains same, as much as HK$ 21.000 (Rp. 24,570,000,-) with HK$ 3000-installment for 7 months paid continuously. May 2012 has lasted for more than a week; are there any findings in the field whether the cost for BMI placement has been reduced?

Promises will merely be the promises and we do not know when the government will stop making such promises to BMIs. For what such amount of money are used, BMIs even have never been informed the details of its use. The government never publishes the details of the placement cost at all, even if such information belongs to public rights, the government keeps making it a secret.

The problems get bigger since KTKLN remains asking BMIs to pay for the insurance, whereas most legal BMIs have had their own insurance in the country where they will be placed. On the other hand, claims for the insurance are really low since the procedures for the insurance claim approval of the BMIs are made uneasy to access on purpose. Don’t blame them if BMIs, especially the ones working in Hong Kong keep against such adverse policy.

Dirjen Binapenta and other public service institutions such as BNP2TKI have to be forced to be open regarding to the management upon BMI placement. Detailed information regarding to the placement cost is the right of BMIs. Then, why is the government not open? Is there any corruption upon the management of the placement cost? All of the questions must be answered by the government openly to inform the detailed information regarding to the placement cost of BMIs.