Governance

How are we managed?

How Bumitama Agri is governed determines its actions as a business. Our Board of Directors and Management Team guide us to success through enacting, maintaining, and developing our policies and procedures above and beyond accepted best practice.

Governance Mechanism

Bumitama Agri upholds high standards of corporate governance, integrity, and professionalism across all activities and operations. The Board provides management oversight and leads the development of corporate strategies while being responsible for ensuring that our company’s corporate governance practices are aligned with the Singapore Code of Corporate Governance. Find our latest Corporate Governance Report here.

Our corporate governance has in-depth and stringent policies and procedures to ensure that our work is carried out diligently and professionally. Our independent directors form a variety of committees to assist the Board in the decision-making process and to support the effective management of Bumitama Agri. The Board recognises that it is responsible for ensuring that our management maintains a sound system of internal controls to safeguard Bumitama Agri’s assets and shareholder investments.

Our Sustainability Policy is integral to our operations and how we govern effectively. Within this policy we lay out our labour, emissions, and many other policies that help us govern effectively. We train and educate our employees in each area and dedicate time and resources to the strict implementation of the policies and procedures laid out. Find our Sustainability Policy here.

Governing Committees

Each Board Committee is governed by clear terms of reference approved by the Board and its role is to assist the Board in the matters that the Board delegates to it. Each Board Committee has the authority to examine any issue that arises in their specific areas and report to the Board with their recommendations. All our independent directors, Mr. Lim Hung Siang, Mr. Lawrence Lua Gek Pong, and Mr. Witjaksana Darmosarkoro are members of each committee. Below are some of the responsibilities of the committees, however further details can be found within our Corporate Governance Report.

Audit Committee

Mr. Lim Hung Siang is chairman of the committee. Crucially, the Audit Committee reviews audit plans, internal audits, and ensures the company’s controls and procedures are effective and adequate.

Remuneration Committee

Mr. Lawrence Lua Gek Pong is chairman of the committee. The Remuneration Committee handles executive and key management pay and ensures all matters regarding remunerations are reviewed in line with guidelines and principles.

Governance & Nominating Committee

Ms. Ng Yi Wayn is chairman of the committee. The Governance & Nominating Committee reviews and recommends the structure, size, and composition of the Board and determines and reviews the processes for nomination.

Conflicts Resolution & Enterprise Risk Management Committee

Mr. Witjaksana Darmosarkoro is chairman of the committee. The Conflicts Resolution & Enterprise Risk Management Committee is tasked with ensuring there are no conflicts of interest whilst reviewing and updating the identification and resolution procedures and to review enterprise risk management report and the steps taken to monitor, control and mitigate such risks.

Enterprise Risk Management

Effective and prudent risk management is one of the key factors in achieving Bumitama Agri’s business objectives and strategic goals. We have established a systematic framework to identify, assess, monitor, manage and evaluate the significant business risks which we are exposed to. Under this, a risk register identifying the material risks together with the internal controls to manage or mitigate those risks is maintained. A separate Management Committee and an Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Department were formed to oversee this and ensure that the risk register is reviewed, managed, and updated regularly. The Management Committee comprises the Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Sustainability Officer, and the Head of the Internal Audit Department.

Risks are pro-actively identified and addressed and the ownership of these risks lies with the respective business and executive heads with stewardship residing with the Board. The Internal Audit Department, Chief Sustainability Officer, and the ERM Secretariat review the entire ERM system, and the Board reviews the adequacy and effectiveness of the risk management and internal control systems quarterly.

As we and industry conditions evolve and grow the Management Committee will regularly conduct an assessment on the adequacy of the framework, processes and procedures and risk identified and measured.

Diversity, Ethics and Integrity

Integrity remains the cornerstone of our business. It is only by conducting our business to the highest ethical standards can we ensure business continuity, stakeholder respect and local community support. The Bumitama Code of Conduct guides our dealings with business partners, regulatory bodies, and employees. The Code applies to all Bumitama employees, the Board of Directors, and other individuals working on behalf of the company.

 

Diversity of our workforce is what helps us to create a competitive advantage in our industry. We believe in treating all people equally, with dignity and respect. This commitment has taken shape in the Group Diversity Policy, which extends from the Board of Directors down to the workforce, including all parties contracted by the Company.

Grievances and Whistleblowing

  • Bumitama Agri’s grievance procedure is a structured Group-wide approach for handling complaints. The system is available to all estate employees and each head office and protects the complainant’s anonymity. The grievance procedure also addresses third-party compliance issues and land conflicts. Although it is open for internal complaints, grievances can also be raised through external platforms, such as the RSPO complaints process.
  • Besides the formal RSPO complaints process, we also monitor issues raised through other channels, such as social media, NGO reports or buyer enquiries. These are recorded using our in-house grievance tracker and logged. Our policy is to engage proactively with interested stakeholders and address any raised issues through the public domain.
  • We have a well-established Whistleblowing Policy and associated procedures approved by our Board’s Audit Committee. This enables our employees, customers, suppliers, contractors or local community members to raise concerns. The Policy guarantees confidential reporting without fear of reprisal; anonymous disclosures are accepted, and anonymity is preserved. The details of our Whistleblowing Policy can be found here.
  • Cases Reported 2023 2022 2021 2020
    Whistle blowing cases 6 3 5 6
    Fraud cases 11 6 3 6
    Sexual Harassment cases 7 7 5 3
    Social, Criminal & Legality issues 433 158 134 212
    Total 457 174 147 227

RSPO Complaints Log

2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018
Active 1 1 1 1 2 2
Closed 8 7 7 6 5 4
Total 9 8 8 7 7 6

List of Recent and Ongoing Grievances

 Case  Date Lodged  Latest Update
Violation of sourcing policy by FFB supplier of PT GMS October 2023 3rd party FFB exclusion statement
Violation of sourcing policy by FFB supplier of PT LGI October 2023 3rd party FFB exclusion statement
Land clearing/burning by the local community at PT KBAS September 2023 3rd party FFB exclusion statement
RAN grievance related to Long Isun February 2023 Clarification issued
Gap analysis of the 2022 RSPO FPIC guide to ensure our adherence
Violation of sourcing policy by PT PSM 18 November 2022 Suspended PT PSM during investigation
Closed with permanent blacklist/supplier termination
Allegation of water pollution by PT GKG 14 November 2022 Status: Closed
Field verification & mediation facilitated by PERKIMLH
Overlapping plantation of PT WNL with PT CKP 14 November 2022 Status: Ongoing
Data collection & spatial analysis
Article published by pontianak.tribunnews.com 08 November 2022 Clarification issued
Article published by detikperistiwa.com 08 November 2022 Clarification issued
Community land clearing in PT NKU 10 September 2022 Status: Closed
Field verification and report submission
PT Laman Mining – land clearing in PT GMS 09 August 2022 Status: Closed
Field verification and report submission
Land clearing by HTI PT Mayawana Persada inside and around PT KML – West Kalimantan June 2022 Status: Ongoing
Monitoring & landscape stakeholder coordination
Illegal FFB harvesting by individuals at plasma cooperative’s area October 2021 Status: Ongoing
Legal case decision pending
RSPO Complaint disputing plasma land allocation and community land certificates collection by the company 21 April 2021 Status: Ongoing
Investigation by RSPO Complaints Panel

 

For earlier addressed grievances please click here.

Contact and Procedure

  • We also provide a Quick Response Service hotline for employees to convey HR-related concerns:
    Phone: 021 2783 8200 (ext. use 1234)
    WhatsApp: 0812 8986 9402
    Email: qrs_bga@bumitama.com

  • The goal of our grievance mechanism is to enable our stakeholders to approach us quickly, safely, and effectively before the situation worsens or becomes a more complicated and long external process. Grievances can be submitted through:
    Email: grievance_channel@bumitama-agri.com
    Letter: Bumitama Agri Ltd., Jln Melawai Raya No. 10, Jakarta Selatan, 12160, Indonesia
  • The grievance should include:
    Full Name:
    Name of Organisation:
    Address:
    Phone No. / Email Address (contact information):
    Description of grievance and supporting documents:

  • All grievance lodges are recorded, investigated, and handled in a fair and transparent manner. Anonymity of those using the grievance mechanism will be preserved.

Long Isun Case Updates

Bumitama wishes to provide further clarification in response to the RAN publication “Keep Forests Standing: How Local Community Resistance is Saving the Last Rainforests of Borneo” posted on our website on 16 February 2023. It is noteworthy to mention that, although Bumitama and the timber operations share a common beneficial owner, the companies operate independently. Our management is distinct from the broader Harita Group, managed by a dedicated team of professionals. Additionally, Bumitama Agri Ltd. is a publicly listed entity on the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX).

Since the inception of the case, Bumitama has proactively reached out to RAN, both through offline meetings and email correspondences. The following points outline a shared action plan, aimed at addressing and resolving the concerns raised:

  • Following the incidents of 2014, PT Kemakmuran Berkah Timber (KBT) had committed to suspend logging (maintain the status quo) in the customary rights claimed areas in Long Isun and Naha Aruq, substantiated through the MoU of 2018.
  • As part of implementation of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) amongst indigenous territories, both PT KBT and Roda Mas Tbr Kalimantan (RTK) declare not to commence logging in said area, now and in future.
  • The companies support the proposals to declare the area at hand as customary rights forest (hutan adat), but are in no position to declare such status, nor to request the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) to move ahead with the excision of the areas from its concessions, as previously clarified. It is regrettable that said area has not been taken up as a prospective hutan adat in the new RTRW of East Kalimantan. We realise that the implementation of the MoU of 2018 has fallen short in this regard.
  • Looking forward, both PT KBT and PT RTK will work with KLHK to invite the signatories of the 2018 MoU and work with invited experts in reviving earlier discussions to implement the MoU and identify the most appropriate ways to change the forest function allocation, such that it results in long-term protection for the benefit of said longhouse communities.
  • We estimate that the engagement process could start before the end of this year, depending on the availability of the relevant parties. It is important to note that to fulfil its commitment, PT KBT and PT RTK will be relying on the willingness of the other MoU signatories to collaborate in the pursuit of a win-win outcome.

The aforementioned statements are part of the public commitment by PT KBT and PT RTK, which can also be found on their respective websites (http://www.rodamastimber.co.id/index.php/informasi-pengaduan & https://kemakmuranberkah.co.id/index.php/informasi-pengaduan).