Saifuddin said the decision made during a meeting between the home and human resources ministries was part of efforts to have a more effective formula for the management of foreign workers.

“It is a significant reduction of up to 46%. The reduction includes the levy payment period from 30 days to 15, because from our observations, 77% of employers pay the levy within 15 days, so we don’t need the 30 days.

“The process of foreign worker recruitment goes through a number of stages, starting from approval, application for quota, and interviews with agencies, up to their arrival at the nation’s entry points,” he said during a press conference.

However, the decision will only take effect after the government determines the new quota for foreign worker recruitment, which has been frozen since March 17, 2023.