Gov’t Conducts Labor-Intensive Programs with 700,000 Man-Days as of March

(Photo by: Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing)

In a bid to speed up economic recovery and boost people’s purchasing power, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo ordered ministries to conduct labor-intensive programs on a large scale.

According to the President, the projects through the labor-intensive programs will not only improve infrastructures and services to the people but also generate income for the people so it can increase their consumption and purchasing power.

“We shift all programs to labor-intensive programs. We must join hand to help those suffering from layoffs to receive income,” he said in February.

To implement the President’s directives, Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing carries out people’s infrastructure program through cash for work scheme. The scheme is projected to absorb 1.23 million workers by using Rp23.24 trillion of budget allocated in the 2021 State Budget.

Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono said that the program will involve local people as manpower for infrastructure development project, particularly simple works that do not require technology.

“In addition to speed up economic recovery and increase people’s purchasing power, the cash for work scheme also aims to distribute cash to villages and remote areas. The implementation will adhere to strict physical and social distancing protocols in order to contain the spread of COVID-19,” Basuki said on Friday (5/3).

The Ministry is implementing the labor-intensive programs through a project to construct roads and bridge. The project will use Rp7.465 trillion of budget and absorb 15,225,029 man-days.

As of March this year, the project has absorbed 714,268 man-days. There are five works in the project; routine work, drainage revitalization work, non-routine work, toll road development work, and additional work to recover the national economy.

Routine work in the cash for work scheme covers road preservation including road cleaning and repainting of road surface marking with a total budget of Rp1.05 trillion. The work also covers regular management of bridges with a total budget of Rp460 billion.

As for non-routine work, it covers road construction and bridge preservation, while toll road development work consists of operational and construction of the roads.

Additional work to recover the national economy covers rehabilitation of gabion, slope, bridges, and pavement.

The Government has set aside a budget of Rp1.5 trillion this year for drainage revitalization work through cash for work scheme in order to improve the quality of national roads. The project must be done as soon as possible since roads will be damaged when inundated with water and traversed by vehicles exceeding payload capacity. (MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS AND PUBLIC HOUSING/UN) (RAS/MUR)