MERANTI ISLANDS -- PT TIMAH (Persero) Tbk continues to strengthen its efforts to promote sustainable development and improve the welfare of communities in its operational areas. One of these efforts is through the preparation and updating of the Community Development and Empowerment Master Plan (RIPPM) in collaboration with the Meranti Islands Regency Government and representatives of village governments on Tuesday (September 1, 2026).
The RIPPM discussion is part of PT TIMAH’s efforts to align its community development and empowerment programs with regional development priorities as well as the needs of residents in the company’s operational areas.
The activity involved representatives from the Meranti Islands Regency Government, sub-district and village governments, as well as other relevant stakeholders. The coordination forum provided an opportunity to discuss various community needs and local potential that could be developed through PT TIMAH’s Social and Environmental Responsibility (TJSL) programs.
The involvement of local and village governments in the preparation of the RIPPM is important to ensure that the programs are better suited to the conditions of each area. In this way, community empowerment programs are designed not only to address short-term needs but also to build long-term community self-reliance.
Secretary of the Meranti Islands Regency, Sudandri Jauzah, said that synergy between PT TIMAH’s programs and the local government’s development agenda needs to be continuously strengthened. According to him, several areas covered in the RIPPM are closely aligned with development needs in the Meranti Islands.
“This synergy needs to be carried out with good intentions to avoid overlapping programs in the field. We hope PT TIMAH’s presence will continue to make a meaningful contribution to the success of development in the Meranti Islands,” Sudandri said.
He expressed hope that the collaboration would support various regional needs, particularly connectivity and infrastructure, which remain challenges for the island-based region.
PT TIMAH’s TJSL programs have also benefited communities in several of the company’s operational areas. One example is Tanjung Medang Village in Rangsang District.
Acting Head of Tanjung Medang Village, Suyatno, said residents in his village have received various forms of support from PT TIMAH, including educational assistance, basic food packages, sacrificial animals, and environmental conservation activities such as mangrove planting.
“Various PT TIMAH programs have already benefited our community, ranging from educational assistance and basic food packages to sacrificial animals and environmental conservation activities such as mangrove planting,” Suyatno said.
As one of the company’s Ring 1 areas, Tanjung Medang Village hopes that the next RIPPM will further accommodate local potential. One sector considered to have significant development potential is marine and fisheries.
Suyatno said that around 70 percent of Tanjung Medang residents work as fishermen. The village has significant potential in marine products such as fish and shrimp, but some fisheries byproducts have yet to be utilized to their full potential.
“We have significant potential in marine products such as shrimp and fish. However, fisheries byproducts such as small fish and shrimp shells from ebi production have not been fully utilized,” he said.
Therefore, he hopes that future empowerment programs can focus on increasing community capacity to process fisheries byproducts into products with economic value.
“We hope that through PT TIMAH’s RIPPM, there will be community empowerment training to process these fisheries byproducts into economically valuable products, such as animal feed and other products developed by community business groups,” he said.
In addition to economic empowerment, environmental, educational, health, and socio-cultural aspects are also part of the RIPPM discussions. This is in line with efforts to develop empowerment programs that address various aspects of community life.
Village governments and community groups also appreciated PT TIMAH’s communication approach through socialization and coordination prior to carrying out operational activities. They viewed such communication as important in maintaining harmonious relations between the company and the community. (*)
