VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Indonesia and Switzerland signed the Agreement on the Exchange of Young Professional (YP Agreement) at the Federal Palace, Bern, Switzerland, as the bilateral scheme of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, or IE-CEPA.

"We hope this agreement would bring benefits for the two countries in enhancing work performance, especially for the young professional workforce," Director General of Labor Placement Development and Expansion of Employment Opportunities at the Manpower Ministry Suhartono noted in his statement here on Saturday.

The YP Agreement was proposed by Indonesia at the IE-CEPA for offering quota guarantees for young professionals as the requirement to work in both countries. Another goal is to bolster the skills of these professionals.

In the agreement, the exchange of the young workforce encompasses all types of professions and follows the authorization process based on the law and regulations. The approved quota for the YP Agreement is 50 participants per year and can be increased to 100.

To derive benefits of the YP Agreement, young professionals in the age bracket of 18 to 35 years must at least undergo on-job training not less than two years and possess a relevant certificate that states completion of their study.

Moreover, the opportunities in all professional sectors are expected to not violate any rules valid in both Indonesia and Switzerland.

If the requirements have been met, then authorization will be given to young professionals to work for a duration of 12 months and can be extended up to six months. The authorization is in the form of an entry permit and residence permit. Participants of the accepted YP Agreement will have to work based on the contract.

The contract will include the rights and obligations, such as working conditions, salary, and tax, based on the country they are working in. Furthermore, the salary must mirror the local minimum wage, profession, and expertise.

Director of Trade and Services Negotiations at the Trade Ministry Iskandar Panjaitan stated that the YP Agreement was Indonesia's request to Switzerland during the IE-CEPA negotiation as the commitment of Indonesia and EFTA countries in implementing the economic partnership.

"Indonesia will derive more benefits from this agreement. It is hoped that Indonesia would be able to optimize its advantages through coordination of the Manpower Ministry," Panjaitan stated.

In the agreement signing, Indonesia was represented by Suhartono, while Switzerland appointed Ambassador Vincenzo Mascioli, International Affairs Director of Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP), State of Secretariat for Migration (SEM) as the signatory.  (Antaranews)