Indonesia, Jordan step up cooperation on manpower

Amman (ANTARA News) - Indonesia and Jordan are discussing efforts to step up manpower cooperation, particularly on the protection of Indonesian workers in Jordan, the momerandum of understanding of which is expected to be signed next month, the Indonesian ambassador to Jordan, Zainul Bahar Noor said here on Friday.

Ambasador Noor said he had held talks with the Jordanian Labour Minister, Gaza Shbaikat, to discuss the matter on Wednesday.

During the meeting, the Jordanian minister was accompanied by Jordanian Director for Labour Inspection & Occupational Safety an Health Affairs, Amin al-Wreidat.

He said that both sides agreed to set up a joint working group and to draft a memorandum of understanding on the protection of Indonesian workers in Jordan.

The ambassador said that the meeting also agreed to allow Indonesian workers to arrange their arrival visas at the Jordanian embassy in Jakarta.

Indonesian foreign affairs officials and the Jordanian labor attache would be placed at the Jodanian embassy in Jakarta to help the Indonesian workers arrange their arrival visas for their visit to work in Jordan.

In the meantime, the Indonesian manpower ministry would also attach its special technical staffers at the Indonesian embassy in Amman. Besides, special Indonesian and Jordanian immigration desks will also be opened at Amman airport.

Before the signing of the MoU in the middle of next month, the ministry of manpower would stop the sending of Indonesian workers to Jordan for the time being.

There is no fixed number of Indonesian workers in Jordan because figures in various relevant departments differ from one to another.

Jordanian Labor Department recorded that there were 21 thousand Indonesian workers in that country while the Immigration Department mentioned there were 15 thousands while the foreign affairs ministry noted a number of 38,000 workers while those registered with the Indonesian embassy in Amman totalled 4,000, of which 305 were problematic female workers.