InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – PT Bumitama Gunajaya Agro (BGA Group) has been honored with the Medbun Awards 2026 in the Excellence in CSR for Empowering Community Economic Development category, recognizing the company's long-term commitment to building sustainable livelihoods in villages surrounding its operations.
The award highlights Bumitama's community development approach, which focuses on strengthening local capacity rather than providing short-term financial assistance. Through structured mentoring, the company supports rural communities in developing business skills, improving enterprise management, and expanding access to markets and financing.
The initiative is carried out under Bumitama Berdaya, particularly through its KOLEGA Ekonomi Produktif program—short for Kelompok Eksternal Binaan BGA. The program serves communities across 114 villages located near the company's operations in Central and West Kalimantan.
According to an official statement received by InfoSAWIT, socioeconomic assessments conducted by the company found that approximately 32% of the surrounding villages still require stronger economic development support. In response, Bumitama designed the program to stimulate entrepreneurship, create employment opportunities, and improve household incomes through sustainable business activities.
As of May 2026, the KOLEGA program had supported 41 community business groups involving 241 members across 29 villages. The groups operate in a wide range of sectors, including horticulture, livestock farming, fisheries, food processing, and handicrafts, depending on local economic potential.
Beyond production activities, participants receive comprehensive mentoring through the Sekolah Desa Berdaya (Empowered Village School) program, which provides training in business management, organizational governance, legal compliance, and access to financial services.
The program has also delivered measurable institutional improvements. All participating groups now have formal organizational structures, 85% have adopted standardized financial bookkeeping systems, while 59% have implemented standard operating procedures (SOPs). Many groups have also secured essential business permits, including Business Identification Numbers (NIB), Home Industry Food Production Certificates (PIRT), and Halal Certification.
To strengthen market access, Bumitama has helped community products reach local traditional markets, regional supermarkets, SME exhibitions, and even the company's headquarters in Jakarta.
The company has also facilitated financing opportunities through partnerships with financial institutions such as Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI) and Permodalan Nasional Madani (PNM), helping community enterprises improve business sustainability and steadily increase revenues.
According to Bumitama, the true measure of a successful community empowerment program is not the amount of assistance distributed, but the ability of local entrepreneurs to build resilient businesses that generate long-term economic value and create lasting benefits for surrounding communities. (T2)
