According to Indonesian agencies, Hong Kong residents may have to spend thousands of dollars extra to hire a domestic helper from Indonesia as the nation seeks to implement stricter recruiting standards.
At present, an employer has to pay an agency fee of HK$12,000 to HK$18,000 for each newly-arrived Indonesian domestic helper, of which about HK$3,000 to HK$5,000 is the subsidy for the Indonesian domestic helper.
The Hong Kong Union of Employment Agencies chairman stated that the Indonesian government intends to implement the "zero placement fee." It is expected that the relevant fee will be increased to about HK$9,000 under the new measure, and by then, the agency fee may rise to more than HK$20,000, which will further widen the gap between the fee for employing Filipino domestic helpers and that for employing Filipino domestic helpers.
He disclosed that about 140,000 families in HK are currently employing Indonesian domestic helpers. After the scheme's implementation, 20% to 30% of the families are expected to switch to employing Indonesian domestic helpers from other places, and some agencies which only hold licenses for importing Indonesian domestic helpers are expected to be affected.
Comment