Jakarta, 22 April 2021 -- PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero), Tbk or BNI (stock code : BBNI) participated in commemorating Earth Day on April 22 by continuing to collaborate with Mega Mendung Organic Forest. BNI's steps are in line with the Financial Services Authority (OJK) program which continues to encourage Banking industry actors to implement sustainable financial policies to support a green economy.
BNI again continues its collaboration with the Megamendung Organic Forest Manager for land expansion, river formation, as well as strengthening the capacity of Megamendung Organic Forest Farmers Group to build ecotourism.
The Company encourages the use of geotagging in Megamendung Organic Forest with the hope of adding position information on GPS data in the form of latitude and longitude information in a digital photo.
Megamendung Organic Forest Manager, Yuhan Subrata conveyed that Earth Day was the right moment to remind the community again about the importance of protecting the environment.
Moreover, Indonesia's climatic conditions during the pandemic are still very worrying and often create detrimental disasters both in peak areas and also have an impact on the capital city of Jakarta.
Yuhan appreciated BNI for its never-ending support for Megamendung Organic Forest. With continued cooperation in land development funds, river formation, as well as strengthening the capacity of Megamendung Organic Forest Farmers Group to develop ecotourism.
In addition to forming a better green ecosystem, Yuhan is optimistic that he can bring visitors and create new economic areas that can help sustain tourism as well as the economic progress of the community.
"We believe that environmental sustainability can be in line with the welfare of the community. BNI has never stopped supporting us to make this happen," he added.
BNI's Corporate Secretary, Mucharom said that the commitment to help Organic Forest Managers has been running since 2018. The company fully entrusts managers to implement various innovations in forest management so that more progress can be made.
He conveyed that BNI's support for Megamendung Organic Forest was in line with the Indonesian government's efforts to control climate change through the 26th United Nations Climate Change Summit 2021 or COP26.
"BNI does not lag behind in applying the principles of sustainable finance with the 3 SGD's Pillars, namely the economic, social and environmental pillars, both in terms of business and empowerment programs," he said.
Mucharom also said that the company encourages the community to be more environmentally sustainable while still optimizing economic potential by creating ecotourism.
"We hope that with this commitment to forest empowerment, it can be more sustainable, and the community can optimize their economic potential, so that sustainability is maintained," he said.
Previously, as a green Banking pioneer, BNI collaborates with the KJA Foundation to collaborate on an environmental rehabilitation program for the coastal area of Anyer Beach, Banten and upstream of Citarum River Watershed, West Java through the nursery development program, planting and caring for trees.
As for this collaboration program uses a CSR mechanism in the form of a nursery of 100,000 trees in the Anyer Beach area, a nursery of 200,000 trees in the upstream area of the Citarum River watershed, the cost of planting activities, as well as the cost of tree maintenance activities.
BNI has also provided assistance in the form of providing 15,000 tree seedlings, building a nursery center, planting trees with Geo-tagging, to maintaining plants until they grow big.
This BNI assistance is embedded in tens of thousands of trees that are now growing in Megamendung Organic Forest which has an area of 22 hectares. At the 75th anniversary celebration in July 2021, BNI also mobilized all BNI Hi-Movers to plant 7,500 trees simultaneously.
Now, BNI's assistance touches another attraction of Organic Forests, namely its natural beauty to become the core of Ecotourism. This is in line with the current high public interest in visiting nature-based tourist sites.
"This pandemic has changed people's tourism preferences to be greener. This will be a very good potential for communities around organic forests to develop tourism and other interesting small businesses," he said.
Furthermore, Mucharom said that this empowerment program will continue to develop micro business in the future. BNI has competitive programs related to subsidies and non-subsidies to help the community's economic development.
"If there are interesting handicraft products from Mega Mendung Organic Forest, we, of course, as a global Bank will help find its export potential," added Mucharom.