Taiwan turns down news about refusing Indonesian workers

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – The Taiwanese government has rejected news saying that the Taiwanese Ministry of Manpower refused the Indonesian Government’s regulation on exemption of placement fees for migrant workers, and that Taiwan would only employ migrant workers from Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines as a form of the refusal.

A statement from the Taipei Economic and Trade Office (TETO) received by Indonesia Window here on Wednesday mentioned that the news was broadcast in two Indonesian media reports on 6 and 8 September 2020 respectively.

After confirming, on September 3, 2020, an official from the Taiwanese Ministry of Manpower said in an interview with Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) that the Taiwanese government knows that the Indonesian government at the end of July had unilaterally announced the regulation, but has yet to receive any official notification.

The TETO statement clarified that the Indonesian government has yet to make communication and negotiation with Taiwan.

“We hope that the two governments can immediately negotiate this regulation,” the statement said.

The official added that there has never been any statement that Taiwan ‘refuses’ the regulation proposed by the Indonesian government, nor has it said it would hire migrant workers from Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines.

In conclusion, the reports of the two media do not correspond with the facts, and can lead to a misunderstanding, as well as potentially damage the cooperation between Taiwan and Indonesia, according to TETO’s statement.

TETO clarified and advised that the Indonesian mass media should not quote the news reports.

The correct information regarding the case should be based on the news released by the Taiwanese Ministry of Manpower and TETO, the statement asserted.

Reporting by Indonesia Window