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AKARTA: The operation, funding and human resources of the Housing Savings Advisory Board for Civil Servants (Bapertarum-PNS) will be dissolved and merged with a recently established public housing savings (Tapera) management body.

Bapertarum-PNS president director Heroe Soelistiawan said that the merger would see 4.5 million civil servants join the new body.

It will also see a change in the system, including in IT, as Tapera users are expected to be able to access their accounts online.

'€œWe have prepared for this since 2013. Our database system has also been perfected, as the initial preparation for Tapera,'€ Heroe said.

The board faces challenges in housing financing as it only managed to put 7,000 civil workers into housing last year, far from its target of assisting 756,591 civil servants.

The board currently manages an annual Rp 800 billion (US$60.5 million) housing fund, with Rp 400 billion allocated to aid financing for an estimated 100,000 civil servants, particularly for the downpayments.

The changes from the merger, including a monthly wage cut for members that was stipulated by the future government regulation on Tapera, is expected to take effect next year.

Last month, the House of Representatives passed the Tapera bill into a law despite opposition from employers. The new law will become the legal basis for the establishment of a housing savings program for workers.