KONTAN.CO.ID - JAKARTA. The Workers Social Security Agency (BPJS Ketenagakerjaan) recently won an award at the Sustainability Reporting Awards (SRA) 2017 event held at the Lor In Hotel Surabaya.

Even though it was only the agency's first time participating in this event, BPJS Ketenagakerjaan still managed to finish as the runner-up in the category of "Best Government Institution Sustainability Report".

SRA 2017, held on Feb. 24, marked the 13th year this special awards ceremony has been hosted by the National Center of Sustainability Reporting (NCSR). The NCSR is an independent organization that promotes and develops sustainability reporting systems in Indonesia through accredited training from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) based in Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

BPJS Ketenagakerjaan's finance director Evi Afiatin explained that this achievement represented the agency's commitment to continue increasing its transparency and its sense of caring for the environment.

According to Evi, the agency's environmental social responsibility programs consist of four pillars. The first, the "Welfare Bridge", is aimed at reducing the public's burdens and improving its welfare. This is done through cheap staple goods sales throughout the country and free exodus programs that have helped more than 50,000 workers go back home.

The next pillar is the "Preservation Bridge" that aims at maintaining the environment through waste management programs that can help people in West Java improve their livelihoods.

The "Self-Sufficiency Bridge" is about empowering people to become more financially independent through business aid facilities for people with disabilities in Bali and West Java.

Finally there is the "Heart Bridge" that seeks to help out victims of natural disasters throughout the country.

"In the future we will continue to increase our care toward the environment to represent our commitment as a public legal entity," Evi said.

In addition the agency also has a program called the "National Movement for Protecting Vulnerable Workers" that aims at building solidarity among private businesses and state-owned enterprises through corporate social responsibility to have them actively contribute to protecting vulnerable workers. The agency is also currently developing an Open Green Space for the public in Bali and in Makassar.

BPJS Ketenagakerjaan has previously also managed to become a finalist during the The Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards 2017 in Singapore.

"Annual sustainability reports are very important for our institution as a way of representing our openness toward the public. We will continue to improve the quality of our reports. Next year we aim to be the best," Evi said.

Editor: Barratut Taqiyyah Rafie