Supporting Covid-19 Prevention, Pertamina Helps MSEs to be Adaptive with Hazmat Production to Herbal Products

Jakarta, June 28, 2021 – The Covid-19 pandemic has forced all parties to remain vigilant. It includes PT Pertamina (Persero), which continues to pay more attention to its fostered micro and small enterprises (MSE) through the MSE Funding Program (PUMK). This effort has succeeded in helping MSE product sales during the pandemic worth more than IDR 17 billion.

Acting Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications & Investor Relations of Pertamina, Fajriyah Usman, explained that this value was obtained from a collaboration between Pertamina and PUMK fostered partners and Rumah BUMN throughout Indonesia.

"A total of 176 MSEs of Pertamina's fostered partners in Indonesia are ready to support Covid-19 assistance with an assistance value of IDR 3 billion," she said. This support is manifested in more than 10,000 Support Assistance Products in the form of multivitamin and herbal products, honey, soap, hand sanitizers, disinfectants, and masks that can support efforts to prevent COVID-19.

In addition, Pertamina has also activated as many as 30 Rumah BUMN (RB). They oversee more than 9 thousand Foster Partners, especially for MSEs that are adaptive to the COVID-19 outbreak as many as 420 MSEs of RB Partners with sales values of more than IDR 14 billion.

One of the Covid-19 adaptive foster partners by producing various herbal products is Bagus Arya Kusuma. The business owner of Padma Medikal Husada is located on Jalan P. Batam No. 39, Tabanan, Bali. "Starting from my passion for toga (Family Medicinal Plants, ed.), there happened to be land that could be used, and it has continued to this day," said Bagus.

Selling herbal products is quite challenging, especially for his products to enter pharmacies and drug stores. Many of the products have been rejected. However, thanks to a good evaluation and input in Pertamina's coaching program, he improved the quality of products and packaging. As a result, herbal products are now starting to be accepted by the public and the wider community.

Besides Bagus, there is also another mentor, namely Asih Wijayanti. The owner of the AW Collection business initially produced various souvenirs and leather bag products for men and women. "Since the pandemic period, I have started making PPE in the form of masks and hazmats that can be used by the public and health workers (health workers)," she said.

This blessing also brings quite a fantastic profit. In a month, Asih can earn up to IDR 150 million. The marketing area for the products made at Jalan Pamugaran 186 Mertasinga, Cilacap is also expanding. At first, it was only in Java, but now she has regular customers in Palembang, Ambon, Pontianak, Sorong, Balikpapan, and other big cities.

According to Fajriyah, through the MSE Funding Program, Pertamina wants to provide energy that can move the economy--energy that fuels and energy that produce sustainable growth.

Pertamina also supports SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) achievements through implementing ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance)-based programs in all of its operational areas. It is part of the environmental and social responsibility to realize economic benefits in the community.**