No change to Indonesian helper fees: govt
Labour minister Chris Sun said he'd been told by the acting consul-general of Indonesia that "there is no change to the cost structure of fees" for arranging domestic helpers from Indonesia to work in Hong Kong. Last week, representatives of the Indonesian Manpower Placement Agency Association said the cost of hiring a helper will go up by about HK$5,000, with employers rather than workers paying the local agency fee. The secretary for labour and welfare on Thursday met the acting consul-general, Slamet Noegroho, and quoted him as saying that the cost structure for helpers remained unchanged. "As to the information communicated by the Indonesian Manpower Placement Agency Association (ASPATAKI) with employment agencies in Hong Kong last week, the Acting Consul-General also stated that the ASPATAKI does not represent the Indonesian Government," Sun said. "The Acting Consul-General said that both governments' policies and regulations remain the same, and issues relevant to employment of IDHs in Hong Kong should continuously be discussed between the Indonesian Government and the HKSAR Government as before."