InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – In fact, there is connection between the birth-day of Pancasila on every 1 June with sustainable enterprise. What is that?
The fifth principle of Pancasila is Social Justice for the People of Indonesia. Prior it was not that. The draft was ‘Social Welfare for the People of Indonesia’. It was said, Bung Karno wanted to get deeper meaning. Then ‘social welfare’ was substituted by ‘social justice’. It is understandable that fair social welfare would have deeper meaning.
Realizing fair welfare is something to do. Quoting from Buya Syafi'i Marif (Guru Bangsa, deceased), the fifth principle of Pancasila is for the orphan principle. How come? Who is in charge? Why has social fairness not been fully realized? What about enterprises?
Apart from the issue, enterprise is one actor of welfare, deliver employment, pay tax, create new civilization (through technology, for instance), and others.
The question remains, what kind of enterprise can do everything? The simple answer is ‘sustainable enterprise. ‘Sustainable’ is one most popular word in the world. It is one acknowledge but terrified one.
The word ‘sustainable’ is recognized, acknowledged by 193 countries in Agenda of 17 Goals of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015. Enterprises follow it as trend and terms and conditions in investment and trade in international level (though sometimes it is unfair in the implementation), and a frightful word for those which are not ready for threatening the continuity of enterprises.
So, how is 'sustainable enterprise' look like? Simple answer is to obey the available regulations, avoid natural, social, environmental damages, obey the regulations about labors. In International Labor Organization (ILO) ‘language’, it is known as ‘decent work’. In normative perspective, it means, safe, no discrimination work condition, freedom and respect human rights, prohibition to get child labor and forced labor, obedience to ay salary, having social security in health insurance that eventually everything is the real condition to welfare. It is a noble work, is not it?
Enterprise which was sentenced for disobeying ‘decent work’ practices, does exist and is real. Malaysia did it before. Being accused to implement forced labor, Malaysia’s palm oil and rubber products were banned to trade in the United States of America (has been revoked).
The good news is that Indonesia is free from the same accusation. That is why sustainable enterprise should be the model, way, and the goal of in Indonesia. By implementing everything, enterprise would be adaptive and sustainable as the trend in the globe. It would be a creator and distributor of fair social welfare as it is mandated in Pancasila. Happy commemorating the birth-day of Pancasila (1/6/2023). Merdeka. Horas..
By: Sumarjono Saragih/ Chairman of Indonesian Entrepreneur Association South Sumatera, Chairman-Founder WISPO.ID (Worker Initiatives for Sustainable Palm Oil) WISPO - Worker Initiative for Sustainable Palm Oil.
