KARIMUN -- PT TIMAH (Persero) Tbk continues to align its community development and empowerment programs with local development needs across its operational areas. One of these efforts is the public consultation for the update of the Master Plan for Community Development and Empowerment (RIPPM), held in Karimun Regency, Riau Islands Province, at the Karimun National Building on Thursday (September 3, 2026).
The public consultation is part of PT TIMAH's efforts to align its Community Development and Empowerment (PPM) programs with the actual needs of local communities and the development priorities of the regional government.
The event brought together various stakeholders, including representatives of the regional government, community representatives, and beneficiaries of PT TIMAH's PPM programs.
Arif Fadillah, Senior Planning Advisor at the Riau Islands Province Development Planning, Research and Development Agency (Baperlitbang), said the update of PT TIMAH's RIPPM should be aligned with regional development planning documents at both the provincial and regency/city levels.
According to him, synchronization is important to ensure that the Company's community empowerment programs support regional development priorities rather than operate independently.
"We hope that every policy plan developed by companies to empower communities will be integrated with the development policies outlined in the provincial and regency/city RPJMDs," Arif said.
He explained that several strategic development issues in the Riau Islands can be taken into consideration when developing PPM programs. These include improving human resource quality, developing a maritime-based economy, reducing poverty and unemployment, improving public services, preserving local culture, developing infrastructure, as well as addressing climate change and environmental degradation.
Arif said PT TIMAH's presence in Karimun Regency is expected to contribute to economic growth and improve community welfare.
"We hope PT TIMAH's presence will help drive economic growth in Karimun Regency in particular, given that the Company operates within the regency," he said.
He added that community empowerment programs should also be designed in an integrated manner. Support in education, healthcare, social protection, and livelihood development should complement one another to maximize the benefits for local communities.
Meanwhile, H. Muhammad Isnaini, Assistant for General Administration at the Karimun Regency Regional Secretariat, emphasized the importance of community development programs that deliver tangible and measurable impacts.
According to him, future PPM programs should focus more on strategic sectors such as education, healthcare, and community economic empowerment.
He gave the example of providing seeds and fertilizer to farmers. Such assistance, he said, should not end when the goods are distributed but should have clear targets and measurable outcomes.
"Every form of assistance should have a clear end goal. A program should not simply be considered complete once the goods have been distributed," he said.
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To ensure that the benefits are sustained, program effectiveness can be evaluated periodically, for example, over a six-month to one-year period. Such evaluations are necessary to determine whether the programs are actually helping increase people's income and economic independence.
"The ultimate goal is to increase people's income so that they can become financially independent in covering their families' education and healthcare expenses," he said.
Muhammad Isnaini also encouraged synchronization between PT TIMAH's PPM programs and the regional government's development plans. He explained that the regional government already has development priorities outlined in its RPJMD and the work plans of each Regional Government Organization (OPD).
With greater alignment, the Company's programs are expected to address needs that have not yet been accommodated while avoiding overlapping activities.
"It is important to synchronize PT TIMAH's CSR programs with regional development plans to prevent overlapping activities," he said.
He hopes coordination between PT TIMAH and the various OPDs can continue to be strengthened to ensure that the Company's planned programs are aligned with the needs of communities on the ground.
In addition to economic and social aspects, environmental sustainability is also an important consideration in implementing PPM programs. According to him, every program should take into account environmental conditions and the potential of each respective area. (*)
