· News, CSR and the Environment
Bukit Asam’s (PTBA) Efforts to Improve Community Welfare
PT Bukit Asam Tbk (PTBA) remains committed to actively contributing to economic development and community welfare, in line with PTBA's Noble Purpose as a member of the MIND ID Group: “We explore natural resources for civilization, prosperity and a better future.”
"To improve community welfare, we have developed eight areas of community empowerment development (PPM), which include education, health, real income levels, economic independence, community participation in environmental management, the formation of community institutions, and supporting infrastructure development," stated VP of Sustainability of PT Bukit Asam Tbk (PTBA), Hartono, in a seminar entitled Contribution of Coal Mining to Develop South Sumatra held by the Indonesian Coal Mining Association (APBI-ICMA) in Palembang on Thursday, July 25, 2024.
In the education sector, PTBA has various programs such as the Scholarship for Student Around Bukit Asam Area (Bidiksiba), Ayo Sekolah Scholarship, National Movement to Eradicate Mathematical Illiteracy (Gernas Tastaka), National Movement to Eradicate Reading Illiteracy (Gernas Tastaba).
Between 2013 and 2023, 345 youths from the company's neighborhood have benefited from Bidiksiba scholarship to pursue further education.
Meanwhile, the Ayo Sekolah program has provided scholarship to 1,040 elementary school students, 969 junior high school students, and 1,002 high school students around PTBA's operational area since 2023. The total number of beneficiaries in 2023 reached 3,011 students.
In the health sector, PTBA organizes the Supplementary Food Provision (PMT) program, which give mothers and children from low-income households in the company's Ring 1 area extra nutrition in the form of milk each month. This program provided benefits to 1,704 underprivileged families in total.
PTBA also collaborates with Bukit Asam Medika Hospital to operate the Mobile Health Car (Mokesling) which offers free health services to the community around the company's Ring 1 area. This service includes health examination by selected doctors and as well as medicines. To date, the program has served 12,589 individuals.
To increase economic independence and real income levels, PTBA carries out a number of business development initiatives for fostered partners, especially micro and small business actors (UMK) around the company's area in the fisheries, trade, agriculture, plantations, finance, and industry sectors. In 2023, PTBA has fostered 389 UMKs, with 240 of them successfully upgraded.
In the social and cultural sector, PTBA offers programs to help with places of worship, disaster response assistance, basic food aid, and Jumat Berkah.
To encourage community participation in environmental management, PTBA manages the Eco Agrotomation program which promotes environmentally friendly automation-based plant cultivation to support greening and reclamation programs in PTBA’s and other companies' areas. The community has seen economic growth and increasing environmental sustainability as a result of the Eco Agrotomation program. This program benefited 105 former illegal mining (PETI) workers and underprivileged families.
In terms of infrastructure development, PTBA has developed agricultural irrigation using solar power plants for rain-fed agricultural land around the company's operations area. PTBA has built seven solar irrigations to empower farmers while promoting the use of renewable energy. There have been 1,113 farmers who have benefited thus far, totaling 612 hectares of rice fields.
"We seek to improve the quality of human resources and overcome poverty through these numerous programs and efforts," said Hartono.
"To improve community welfare, we have developed eight areas of community empowerment development (PPM), which include education, health, real income levels, economic independence, community participation in environmental management, the formation of community institutions, and supporting infrastructure development," stated VP of Sustainability of PT Bukit Asam Tbk (PTBA), Hartono, in a seminar entitled Contribution of Coal Mining to Develop South Sumatra held by the Indonesian Coal Mining Association (APBI-ICMA) in Palembang on Thursday, July 25, 2024.
In the education sector, PTBA has various programs such as the Scholarship for Student Around Bukit Asam Area (Bidiksiba), Ayo Sekolah Scholarship, National Movement to Eradicate Mathematical Illiteracy (Gernas Tastaka), National Movement to Eradicate Reading Illiteracy (Gernas Tastaba).
Between 2013 and 2023, 345 youths from the company's neighborhood have benefited from Bidiksiba scholarship to pursue further education.
Meanwhile, the Ayo Sekolah program has provided scholarship to 1,040 elementary school students, 969 junior high school students, and 1,002 high school students around PTBA's operational area since 2023. The total number of beneficiaries in 2023 reached 3,011 students.
In the health sector, PTBA organizes the Supplementary Food Provision (PMT) program, which give mothers and children from low-income households in the company's Ring 1 area extra nutrition in the form of milk each month. This program provided benefits to 1,704 underprivileged families in total.
PTBA also collaborates with Bukit Asam Medika Hospital to operate the Mobile Health Car (Mokesling) which offers free health services to the community around the company's Ring 1 area. This service includes health examination by selected doctors and as well as medicines. To date, the program has served 12,589 individuals.
To increase economic independence and real income levels, PTBA carries out a number of business development initiatives for fostered partners, especially micro and small business actors (UMK) around the company's area in the fisheries, trade, agriculture, plantations, finance, and industry sectors. In 2023, PTBA has fostered 389 UMKs, with 240 of them successfully upgraded.
In the social and cultural sector, PTBA offers programs to help with places of worship, disaster response assistance, basic food aid, and Jumat Berkah.
To encourage community participation in environmental management, PTBA manages the Eco Agrotomation program which promotes environmentally friendly automation-based plant cultivation to support greening and reclamation programs in PTBA’s and other companies' areas. The community has seen economic growth and increasing environmental sustainability as a result of the Eco Agrotomation program. This program benefited 105 former illegal mining (PETI) workers and underprivileged families.
In terms of infrastructure development, PTBA has developed agricultural irrigation using solar power plants for rain-fed agricultural land around the company's operations area. PTBA has built seven solar irrigations to empower farmers while promoting the use of renewable energy. There have been 1,113 farmers who have benefited thus far, totaling 612 hectares of rice fields.
"We seek to improve the quality of human resources and overcome poverty through these numerous programs and efforts," said Hartono.
