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Foreigners unmoved, but call for clarity on Tapera
Tapera mandates foreigners working in Indonesia for at least six months must make deposits, despite Indonesian law barring this group from owning a house in the country.
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A subsidized-housing complex in Bogor, West Java, is seen in this picture taken on Jan. 6, 2020. (Antara/Yulius Satria Wijaya)
Indonesia is set to mandate foreigners working in the country to make deposits from their monthly income to support the public housing savings (Tapera) program, which the government has designed specifically to support future homeownership for Indonesians.
Foreign workers interviewed by The Jakarta Post said they did not mind making contributions for the program, but wanted clarity on how it would work.
“I'm not that upset by [the program]. I mean, I'm a little annoyed, but I'd rather have actual control over the money,” Brent, a 43-year-old foreign teacher residing in Jakarta said on Tuesday.
Every employee with a monthly income exceeding the regional minimum wage must chip in. That includes foreigners working in Indonesia for at least six months, despite Indonesian law barring this group from owning a house in the country.
Under an implementing regulation introduced in 2020, the government requires participants to deposit 3 percent of their monthly wages for the endowment fund with 2.5 percent bore by employees and 0.5 percent by employers.
A different rate would apply for freelancers, which the government would formulate separately in the future, according to May’s revision of the 2020 regulation.
