PANGKALPINANG -- PT Timah Tbk continues to demonstrate its commitment to promoting village economic independence and supporting sustainable development in rural areas. One such effort includes providing business capital assistance to 18 Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes) across the Bangka Belitung Islands Province.
This capital support is a tangible step by the company toward strengthening the local economy. It serves as a stimulus to drive economic activity, create jobs, and optimize the potential of villages.
The program aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in reducing poverty, promoting inclusive economic growth, and fostering strategic partnerships for village development. It also reflects the sixth principle of President Prabowo’s Asta Cita: "developing from the villages and from the grassroots to achieve economic equity and poverty eradication." By empowering BUMDes, the program aims to create inclusive economic growth, reduce inequality, and support the realization of advanced, independent, and prosperous villages.
PT Timah’s President Director, Restu Widiyantoro, together with the Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions Yandri Susanto, Deputy Attorney General for Intelligence (Jamintel) Reda Manthovani, and Bangka Belitung Governor Hidayat Arsani, officially handed over the assistance to the BUMDes at the Pasir Padi Room of the Governor’s Office in Babel, Thursday, July 3, 2025.
This business capital support from a member of the MIND ID Mining Industry Holding has been warmly welcomed by BUMDes managers. The support will allow them to develop new business units as well as expand existing ones.
One example is BUMDes Pesisir Jaya Besamo in Belo Laut Village, Mentok District, West Bangka, which operates a waste transportation service. Thanks to the support from PT Timah, they plan to add more vehicles to expand their service coverage.
Etika Fitri, Chairwoman of BUMDes Pesisir Jaya Besamo, shared that they currently only have one three-wheeled vehicle, which is rented from the village government and serves three hamlets. However, due to limited resources and the wide area coverage, they haven’t been able to serve the entire village.
"Currently, we can only serve three hamlets, and the vehicle is rented. With the assistance from PT Timah, we plan to purchase a proper garbage truck to expand our services. Hopefully, we can reach four hamlets and further support our local economy," she said.
According to Etika, the support from PT Timah is a much-needed lifeline, especially as the amount of waste they handle continues to grow. Moving forward, they plan to sort organic and inorganic waste for recycling purposes.
“We’re very grateful. This support comes at the right time and will help improve our performance and growth toward becoming an independent BUMDes. PT Timah is truly amazing,” she added.
Similarly, Supendi, Director of BUMDes Harapan Makmur in Rias Village, South Bangka, said the assistance from PT Timah would be used to develop a duck egg farming business, which aligns well with the village’s natural potential.
Founded in 2018, the BUMDes has faced challenges in expanding due to limited capital. Supendi hopes this opportunity will help the business thrive and become self-sufficient.
“The aid we received will be used to develop a duck egg farming operation because it suits the resources and potential of Rias Village. Hopefully, this support from PT Timah will help us grow and move forward,” he said.
Echoing the sentiment, Ismail Muridan, Deputy Chairman of BUMDes Babel Betapak in Batu Belubang Village, Central Bangka, explained that they would use the funds to enhance their tourism services, which have become a key area of focus for the BUMDes.
“We already manage several businesses, but we’re focusing more on tourism, as our coastal village has great potential in tourism, marine resources, fisheries, and cattle fattening. We work with local tourism groups to manage the Telapak Antu Beach tourism area through gazebo rentals, parking services, and a BUMDes-run food stall. Our village even ranked fourth in the 2024 National Tourism Village Competition,” he explained.
With PT Timah’s assistance, they plan to purchase transportation equipment to bring visitors to nearby islands, further promoting their tourism potential.
“We are very grateful to PT Timah for their strong contribution to our village community. The funding will be used to purchase a 25–30 HP boat engine to transport visitors to nearby islands like Panjang, Semujur, and Ketawai, in partnership with local fishermen,” he said.
This business capital support program is part of PT Timah’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, focusing on community economic empowerment. With this capital support, BUMDes are expected to become resilient economic drivers in rural areas, create local employment, and increase overall village income.
