Talks to shed light on 'zero-fee' policy for Indonesian helpers

A visiting Indonesian government official met with domestic workers in Hong Kong as Jakarta plans to send an official delegation to hold talks with SAR officials next month over the "zero-fee" policy.

Indonesian authorities earlier said they will strictly implement the new fee policy, which requires employers to bear all hiring costs of Indonesian domestic helpers.

Benny Rhamdani, chairman of BP2MI, an Indonesian migrant workers protection agency, was seen at Lai Chi Kok Park yesterday morning, talking to Indonesian domestic helpers to gain an insight into their situation.

He also took photos with some helpers during his transit in Hong Kong as part of a private trip, but did not take questions from the media, including those related to the "zero-fee policy."

Secretary general Rinardi Rusman said plans are afoot for an official "full delegation" from Indonesia to meet with SAR government officials next month.

Upon his return to Jakarta, he said there will be discussions with the ministries about their nationals' situation in the SAR "because if we don't see it directly, we don't know what is going on in Hong Kong, particularly any potential problems the workers are facing."

He also said he was not aware of an earlier SAR government statement quoting the acting Indonesian consul-general in Hong Kong as saying that the cost structure of arranging an Indonesian domestic helper to work in the SAR will remain unchanged.

Rusman said he has no knowledge of the details of the meeting between the SAR government and the Indonesian consulate, as he said their trip was not to discuss the "zero-fee policy" in their official capacities.

He was referring to the meeting between Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han and Indonesian acting consul-general in Hong Kong Slamet Noegroho last Thursday on the placement fees for hiring Indonesian helpers.

Sun said after the meeting that Noegroho clarified at the meeting that there was no change to the cost structure of fees for Indonesian helpers coming to work in Hong Kong.

He also quoted Noegroho as saying that the Indonesian Manpower Placement Agency Association "does not represent the Indonesian government."

This came after the association said earlier this month that Indonesian authorities would strictly implement the "zero-fee policy," meaning employers would have to pay an extra HK$4,000 to HK$5,000 to hire an Indonesian helper.

Employment agencies said the policy has made Hongkongers switch to helpers from other countries, while domestic helper unions said the policy does not help with the problem of agencies in Indonesia overcharging them.

michael.shum@singtaonewscorp.com