Makassar, March 10, 2019 – PT HM Sampoerna Tbk. (Sampoerna) appreciates and supports its retail partners ‘Sampoerna Retail Community (SRC)’ in holding a “Pesta Retail” event with the theme of ”Yuk Belanja Ke SRC” at Celebes Convention Center, Makassar. This event was organized by SRC to increase the competitiveness of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in South Sulawesi as the catalyst of local economy growth. The series of events from the Pesta Retail event include SMEs exhibition, entrepreneurial workshops and business seminars for entrepreneurs.
This event, aimed at promoting local SMEs to the people of South Sulawesi, has gained the full support from the Regional Government of South Sulawesi as stated by its Governor Nurdin Abdullah that he appreciated SRC's efforts which was also supported by Sampoerna in holding this event, hoping that SRC can compete in the era of modern globalization and continue to be impactful for the local economy.
The presence of SME players in South Sulawesi is increasingly evident, as seen from the data released by the South Sulawesi Provincial Cooperative and SME Office, which recorded that the number of SME players in the province has increased from 916,232 units in 2017 to 1,000,000 units in 2018.
In the midst of a conducive climate for SME development, the synergy between the government and the private sector in developing SME in Indonesia is crucial, given the extraordinary potential of this sector to be developed. Sampoerna's Head of Commercial & Business Development, Henny Susanto, believes that along with the advancement of SME players, the wheels of the local economy will also progress rapidly.
"SME Empowerment is a part of Sampoerna's effort to support the government in accelerating economic independence at both the national and regional levels. We project this enthusiasm under the umbrella of our program, 'Sampoerna for Indonesia'. In line with this commitment, we support the Pesta Retail event organized by the SRC to introduce SME players in South Sulawesi to the wider community. This event is expected to invite the public to support traditional retailers as the catalyst of local economy growth," Henny said.
The 'Sampoerna for Indonesia' program applies a sustainable approach by building capabilities which is aimed to empower the SMEs. One of the focus of this program is the traditional retailers who joined SRC with a total of 100,000 retail partners throughout Indonesia since 2008.
In South Sulawesi, 2,000 traditional retail stores have joined SRC and are fostered by Sampoerna on an ongoing basis. Traditional retailers in South Sulawesi began to join SRC since 2009 and came from various regions including Makassar, Jeneponto, Takalar, Gowa, Maros and Pangkep.
The South Sulawesi regional government positively welcomed the execution of the Pesta Retail event which attracted at least 2,000 visitors. "Even though the development of modern retail is increasing rapidly, the existence of SRC is very important to help traditional retailers improve their capacity and competitiveness. In the future, this effort must be continued and even extended to provide equal opportunities for local businesses in developing their businesses," added Nurdin Abdillah.
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Overview of Sampoerna for Indonesia
Sampoerna for Indonesia is a series of activities and programs implemented by PT HM Sampoerna Tbk. as a form of contribution and participation of the company in advancing the Nation and the people of Indonesia, as well as to provide inspiration and motivation for the community to be able to do their best for themselves and the Indonesian people. The activities and programs of "Sampoerna for Indonesia" cover various pillars, including education, women's empowerment, community economic empowerment and disaster emergency response.
About PT HM Sampoerna Tbk. (Sampoerna)
Founded in 1913, Sampoerna - which is an affiliate of PT Philip Morris Indonesia and part of Philip Morris International Inc. - is a leading tobacco company in Indonesia, with main activities focusing on the production and sale of clove cigarettes. The company produces a number of famous clove cigarette brands such as Sampoerna A, legendary King Kretek Dji Sam Soe, Sampoerna U, and Sampoerna Kretek. The company also distributes Marlboro cigarette brands throughout Indonesia, through a long-term distribution agreement with PT Philip Morris Indonesia. Sampoerna operates seven factories on the island of Java and works with 38 Cigarette Production Partners, with a total workforce - direct and indirect - of around 67,400 employees, most of whom work on the Hand-rolled Kretek Cigarette production line. Sampoerna distributes its products through 106 sales and distribution area offices throughout Indonesia.
Sampoerna is one of the largest market capitalized issuers on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. Sampoerna shares are traded with a stock code “HMSP.”