Thousand of Indonesian Domestic Helpers Needed

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Qatar is ready to accept thousands of Indonesian migrant workers (TKI) in its oil and gas, construction, and health sectors, nurses and medical personnel in particular. 

This was disclosed in an Indonesia-Qatar meeting by Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar and his Qatari counterpart Sultan bin Hasan bin Dhabit al Dousary and Health Minister Sheikha Ghalia Bint Muhammad Bin Hamad al Thani in Doha, capital of Qatar, on Monday.
     
"Alhamdulillah (thank God), the Qatari government eventually expressed readiness to open a new workers market for Indonesian workers. This opportunity must be utilized by Indonesian formal migrant workers to the maximum, especially those with special skills," Minister Muhaimin Iskandar said in a press release in Jakarta Tuesday.
     
And the Qatari health minister has even provide wider opportunities to Indonesian nurses and paramedics for employment in Qatar, in view of the building of new hospitals in that country.
     
"In a follow up measure, the Qatari health minister will soon send a delegation to Indonesia to study the classification of nurses Qatar would need. In this context, we need to take immediately steps to prepare potential employment seekers in Indonesia for work in  Qatar," Muhaimin said.
    
Besides opening opportunities for migrant workers, the Indonesian and Qatari governments also agreed to increase TKI protection, especially those employed as domestic helpers. The minister said his visit to Qatar is aimed at promoting bilateral relations between the two countries, especially in the manpower secotr.

To follow up on the commitment to protect Indonesian domestic helpers, Indonesia and Qatar agreed to set up a Joint Working Group (JWG) to follow up on the MoU on the dispatch of senior officers for implementation of the JWG.  "The two countries also agreed to take active part in multilateral and regional cooperation in the protection of migrant workers in the respective countries" the minister said.