TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Chairman of the Communication Group and Inter-Instituion Relations of the Social Insurance Organizing Body (BPJS) Ikhsan said that BPJS had sent a letter to regional governments to immediately pay the debts of BPJS (health insurance) payment of their officials.

However, as of now, the debt that has already reached Rp1 trillion has not been paid yet.

“We’ve also sent a letter to the Home Affairs Ministry to push regional governments to pay their debt,” he said on Friday.

The Council of the National Social Insurance as the supervisor of the BPJS has also urged regional governments to pay the debts.

According to the Chairman of the Council Chazali Situmorang, the institution had already reported the issue to the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) and the Financial Services Authority (OJK).

Chazali added that BPJS payment of a regional government payment is 5 percent of their main salary. From the figure, 3 percent is taken from the Regional Budget while the remaining 2 percent is taken from their basic salary.

In reality, Chazali said, a number of regional government only pay the 2 percent of the amount, which is taken from the official salary deduction, while they have not paid the rest.

“Even several regional governments have not paid the BPJS payment at all,” he said.

In the meantime, Director General of Regional Finance of the Home Affairs Ministry Reydonnyzar Moenek admitted that that there are many regional government that are still in debt. However, Reydonnyzar declined to comment further on the matter.

MITRA TARIGAN