Three Dji Sam Soe Award winners selected from field of thousands
Urip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
In appreciation of the role that small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) play in the economy, PT HM Sampoerna presented on Thursday its Dji Sam Soe Award to three SMEs it regarded as the best in terms of their businesses and contributions to community development.
The award for best SME was given to CV Sumber Berkat, a shellfish processing enterprise located in Tangerang, Banten, that employs some 100 local workers and generates annual revenue of Rp 3 billion (US$322,000).
In second and third place were two SMEs from East Java -- Surabaya-based leather products manufacturer Citra Mulia Perkasa and Malang-based waste-wood crafts maker UD Galeri 76.
Citra Mulia Perkasa generates annual revenue of Rp 5 billion and employs over 60 workers. Galeri 76, meanwhile, has been employing and rehabilitating local ex-convicts in an enterprise that generates annual revenue of Rp 3 billion.
The Dji Sam Soe Award is supported by state-owned investment firm PT Permodalan Nasional Madani (PNM), PT Tempo Inti Media news group, community development NGO Swisscontact and Dunamis Organization Services.
Some 7,000 SMEs participated in the event, and were judged by prominent people including agrobusiness entrepreneur Bob Sadino, traditional herbs businessman Charles Saerang, PT UKM Indonesia director Eva Riyanti Hutapea, Swisscontact program manager Thomas Meier, and Enny Harjanto of Dunamis.
HM Sampoerna managing director Angky Camaro said that the award was made to encourage the spirit of entrepreneurship among SMEs and the wider public.
"We hope the award will inspire SMEs to keep on improving their businesses through various innovations, as well as empower their communities," he said, adding that the cigarette giant Sampoerna itself also started as a small-scale home industry.
Sumber Berkat owner Jahya Tjahyono hoped that the award would pressure the government to pay more attention to SMEs, including facilitating credit to develop their businesses.
SMEs have proven their resilience in sustaining the national economy during hard times. While many big corporations failed and went bankrupt during the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis, SMEs maintained their business, some even flourishing and providing jobs for those who became unemployed.
In line with the International Year of Microcredit, the government has committed itself to help provide more financial facilities to SMEs through PT PNM and the banking industry.