Dharma Jaya targets commercial sector to reduce dependency

The President Director of Perumda Dharma Jaya, Raditya Endra Budiman, stated that the company is striving to reduce its dependence on government assignments by strengthening its commercial sector while ensuring food security remains maintained.

“This effort is being undertaken to increase the company’s independence while strengthening Dharma Jaya’s role in supporting food security in Jakarta,” Radit said in Jakarta on Wednesday, while serving as a speaker at the Ngobrolin Jakarta (Ngojak) event organised by Lintas Generasi Aktivis (LIGA) Pro Jakarta.

According to him, the company, which specialises in fulfilling food needs—particularly animal protein—is continuously reducing its reliance on the Jakarta Provincial Government’s regional budget (APBD).

Radit explained that the proportion of government assignments, including providing subsidised food for vulnerable communities, which previously dominated company activities at around 90 per cent, has now decreased to approximately 60 per cent.

“During COVID-19, assignments were suddenly halted. We were quite in disarray. But now, there is a clear distinction between assignments and commercial activities, and we are gradually securing our position,” he said.

He noted that currently, about 60 per cent of Dharma Jaya’s activities still stem from assignments, while the remaining 40 per cent come from the commercial sector.

“We continue to strive to increase the commercial portion so that the company’s dependence on assignments becomes even smaller,” he added.

During the discussion themed “Can Perumda Dharma Jaya Maintain Food Security?”, Raditya mentioned that meat demand in Jakarta is quite significant. Under normal conditions, demand can reach approximately 6,000 tonnes per month.

This figure, he noted, can increase to around 6,500 to 7,000 tonnes, and even reach 7,500 tonnes during certain periods, such as major religious holidays.

This high demand presents an opportunity for Dharma Jaya to strengthen its food business chain, ranging from procurement and cattle fattening to processing and distribution to the public.

One of the development plans being pushed is the construction of facilities in the Ciangir area, Banten, utilising 15 hectares of land owned by the Jakarta Provincial Government.

The location holds great potential to support the integrated development of Dharma Jaya’s business. In addition to the vast land area, access from Jakarta to the area is relatively easy via land and toll roads.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity. We can carry out development starting from construction, then fattening, processing, through to distribution,” he said.

He assessed that strengthening the supply chain from upstream to downstream is vital for building Jakarta’s food independence. Furthermore, Jakarta has a population of approximately 10.5 million people, meaning food needs, particularly meat, must be guaranteed sustainably.

“Food security is not only related to the availability of commodities, but also the ability of local governments and regional-owned enterprises (BUMD) to build a more independent food system,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Lukman Jupiter, a legislator from the Jakarta DPRD Commission B, confirmed support for Perumda Dharma Jaya’s plans to maintain food security through livestock commodity fulfilment and business development.

Jupiter wants Perumda Dharma Jaya to continue developing its business lines, including becoming a supplier for hotels, restaurants, and cafes (Horeka).

“Currently, much of this is still controlled by the private sector. I want Perumda Dharma Jaya to be able to compete healthily so that company revenue increases and provides a maximum contribution to regional income through dividends,” he said.

The Presidium of Lintas Generasi Aktivis (LIGA) Pro Jakarta, M Syaiful Jihad, emphasised support for Perumda Dharma Jaya to continue improving its public service functions and developing business lines.

“We support Perumda Dharma Jaya in upgrading its status to a Perseroda (Regional-Owned Limited Liability Company),” he asserted.

He added that along with the change in status, regional capital injections into Dharma Jaya must also be increased to support various business development innovations and improvements in public services.

Syaiful appreciated the leadership of Raditya Endra Budiman, who has served as President Director of Perumda Dharma Jaya for the last seven years and has led the state-owned enterprise towards greater stability.

“If previously it was loss-making, now it is able to provide dividends. I hope this good performance can be further improved,” he added.