Industrial Estate Working Group Pushes for Mandatory Corporate Responsibility to Support MSMEs

Pekanbaru (ANTARA) — Members of Commission VII of the House of Representatives serving on the working group for the Industrial Estate Bill are continuing to push for companies’ social and environmental responsibility (TJSL) programmes to be made mandatory, with support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) as a key requirement.

Commission VII member Hendry Munief said that corporate TJSL programmes in industrial estates currently often take the form of social assistance, such as basic food packages, without any obligation to support surrounding MSMEs.

“So far, it has only taken the form of social assistance, such as basic food packages. Industrial companies should not just give people fish; they should also be obliged to help small and medium-sized enterprises in the industrial estate by giving them fishing rods, so that the assistance is more clearly defined,” he said in Pekanbaru on Saturday.

He said one indicator being prepared for the bill would make TJSL support genuinely measurable. For example, a company might initially provide guidance to five MSMEs, with that number expected to rise to 50 after several years, alongside improvements in turnover and production capacity.

He added that support could also include equipment, such as packaging machines. Many MSME products are of good quality, he said, but their packaging is not very appealing.

Hendry said the training programme was being held with his legislative partner. He pledged to continue seeking funding through the State Budget (APBN) for activities that benefit people in his constituency.