Celebrating 50th Golden Anniversary, Semen Baturaja Synergizes to Build Sustainability

BATURAJA – Entering its golden age, PT Semen Baturaja Tbk (SMBR), as a subsidiary of PT Semen Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (SIG), continues to demonstrate its commitment to supporting national development and maintaining superior product quality. Thanks to technological innovations applied in the increasingly environmentally friendly production process and support from all parties, SMBR has been able to maintain its position as one of the leading cement companies in Indonesia, especially in the Southern Sumatra (Sumbagsel) region.

Celebrating this precious moment, SMBR held the peak of its Anniversary (HUT) celebration with the theme “Synergy in Building Sustainability” in a Friendly Event held at the SMBR Head Office, Baturaja, Ogan Komering Ulu Regency (OKU), South Sumatra, on Thursday (11/14). This activity is also the peak of a series of events, previously SMBR had carried out various activities such as fashion shows, badminton tournaments, quizzes, tennis, idols, basketball, futsal, fun walks and E-Sports.

Present at this event were the Board of Directors of SMBR, including President Director Suherman Yahya, Director (Finance & HR Function) Rahmat Hidayat, and Director of Operations Muhammad Syafitri, as well as the Board of Commissioners consisting of the President Commissioner who is also an Independent Commissioner Alex Iskandar Munaf, Commissioner Hadi Daryanto, Independent Commissioner Chowadja Sanova and Inosentius Samsul and SMBR employees. Also attending were the Acting Regent of OKU represented by the Regional Secretary of OKU Dharmawan Irianto along with the Forkopimda ranks and the Head of the South Sumatra Baznas Ahmad Marjundi.

In his remarks, the President Director of SMBR Suherman Yahya expressed his appreciation to all parties who have supported SMBR’s journey to date. “This celebration is a moment of reflection and a spur to new enthusiasm for a better future. We hope that we will continue to maintain this spirit of togetherness to make Semen Baturaja stronger, more innovative, and more competitive in facing future challenges,” said Suherman.

SMBR’s President Commissioner, Alex Iskandar Munaf, also added that SMBR’s achievements to date are inseparable from the dedication of all company personnel. “At the age of 50, SMBR remains strong as an adaptive company that continues to advance for the progress of the nation. We are committed to always supporting national development by providing high-quality products for the community,” said Alex.

The Acting Regent of OKU, represented by the Regional Secretary of OKU Dharmawan Irianto, expressed his high appreciation for SMBR’s contribution to development, both in Ogan Komering Ulu Regency and in South Sumatra and its surroundings. “Fifty years is a very valuable and meaningful milestone for Semen Baturaja. We appreciate the dedication and commitment of all SMBR staff who have made significant contributions to regional development,” he said.

Dharmawan also highlighted the positive impact of SMBR’s CSR program in the fields of education, health, and community economic empowerment. “This initiative shows that PT Semen Baturaja is not only profit-oriented, but also has a high commitment to contributing to community welfare and environmental preservation,” he added.

As a concrete form of the BUMN Social Responsibility Program (TJSL), SMBR distributes various social assistance from the fields of education, health, and community economic empowerment. In this anniversary celebration, SMBR distributed Education Assistance for orphans, half-brothers, and underprivileged children worth IDR 88 million to 240 elementary, junior high, and high school children from Ring 1 covering 6 sub-districts (Sukajadi, Air Gading, Talang Jawa, Tanjung Agung, Saung Naga, and Batu Kuning) and 2 villages (Pusar and Laya), then Education Scholarships for Higher Education worth IDR 30 million to 50 outstanding students from Baturaja University (UNBARA). In addition, through cooperation with Baznas (National Zakat Agency) of South Sumatra Province, SMBR distributed assistance for renovations, medical equipment, and operational support for the Village Health Post (Poskeskel) in Air Gading Village. Then the assistance of the MSME empowerment program through the Z-Chicken business program from Baznas with a total assistance of IDR 95 million for 10 Z-Chicken MSMEs. The assistance came from the Zakat Fund of the Directors and Employees of SMBR.

As part of its commitment to supporting education, the Semen Baturaja Employee Wives Association (IIKSB) also contributed to distributing educational assistance for 81 outstanding children, including 28 elementary school students worth a total of IDR 14 million, 20 junior high school students worth a total of IDR 15 million, 23 high school students worth a total of IDR 23 million, then 10 university students worth a total of 15 million.

Still in the series of 50th Anniversary celebrations, SMBR also held a Journalism Competition which was open to journalists until December 21, 2024. This competition aims to appreciate journalistic works that provide accurate information regarding SMBR’s contribution to national and social development, with a theme in accordance with this year’s SMBR Anniversary theme.

This entire series of activities emphasizes SMBR’s commitment to supporting sustainable development and providing benefits to the surrounding community. The age of 50 is not only an achievement, but also a starting point for SMBR to continue to move forward and face various challenges with a spirit of synergy and innovation.

A glimpse of SMBR’s performance, with the theme of Synergy Building Sustainability, is an encouragement for Semen Baturaja’s employees to produce their best performance. During 2023, SMBR managed to record positive performance in terms of both revenue and profit. Revenue in 2023 amounted to IDR 2.04 trillion, an increase of 8% from 2022 of IDR 1.88 trillion. Meanwhile, the 2023 net profit of IDR121.57 billion shot up 57% compared to the 2022 profit of IDR77.32 billion.

“SMBR management is committed to maintaining positive performance until the end of 2024 despite the increasingly competitive market challenges,” said Suherman.

He added that SMBR has received many achievements and awards thanks to the enthusiasm of all SMBR people in practicing AKHLAK values ​​as a foundation to continue to advance and innovate. (*)