Pertamina Patra Niaga empowers communities based on local potential

PT Pertamina Patra Niaga is strengthening community independence through its Community Involvement and Development (CID) programme, which is based on local potential.

Vice President of Corporate Communication at Pertamina Patra Niaga, Kitty Andhora, stated in Jakarta on Tuesday that energy security is not only achieved through the availability of fuel and LPG for the public, but also through efforts to strengthen social and economic resilience within operational areas.

“This is the spirit that Pertamina Patra Niaga continues to realise through various CID programmes, which encourage communities to develop their regional potential sustainably,” she said.

Kitty continued that these CID programmes include creative villages in South Sumatra, horticultural areas in Maluku, and coastal villages in Aceh.

“All programmes are designed so that the community can grow to become the main actors in regional economic development,” she added.

According to Kitty, in Sugihwaras, Palembang, South Sumatra, Pertamina Patames Niaga is assisting the community in developing environment-based creative economies. Various value-added products, such as kelulut honey, aromatherapy candles made from used cooking oil, and jasmine-processed products, have become new sources of income for MSME entrepreneurs.

In addition to improving skills, this programme also opens opportunities for housewives, youths, and other community groups to build competitive businesses.

Munir, the head of RT 06 in Sugihwaras and a programme beneficiary, expressed appreciation for the programme, which has provided tangible benefits to the community.

“Through this evaluation, we are also formulating plans so that the benefits of the programme can become even greater and more sustainable for the community,” he said.

Meanwhile, in Wayame, Ambon, through a horticulture demonstration plot programme, Pertamina Patra Niaga provides eco-friendly water supply solutions alongside horticultural cultivation assistance. The presence of these facilities helps farmers increase crop yields while strengthening food security and family economies.

In the coastal area of Lhokseumawe, Aceh, through the Gampong Berdikari programme, shrimp farming groups are developing semi-intensive vaname shrimp cultivation with support for production facilities, training, and business capacity building. This programme creates opportunities to increase pond productivity and establish more sustainable income sources for coastal communities.

Kitty also noted that the empowerment approach is tailored to local characteristics.

“For Pertamina Patra Niaga, the success of CID programmes is not only measured by the amount of assistance provided, but also by the extent to which the community is able to develop independently after receiving guidance,” she said.

Therefore, Pertamina always begins with the potential held by the community, then develops it together through sustainable collaboration.

Through an approach that emphasises collaboration and empowerment, Pertamina Patra Niaga hopes that the community will not only be beneficiaries but also capable of becoming local economic drivers that create a lasting impact on their surroundings.

“We believe that when the community grows and becomes independent, the benefits produced will continue to expand, not only for the beneficiary families but also for the communities and the regions where they live. This is the true form of energy—the energy that drives life,” said Kitty.