Photo: Residents shopping for staple goods at S-Mart
MERAUKE, 08 April 2022 – The price of staple goods in Papua is extremely high. For comparison, a medium sized tube of toothpaste can be sold at Rp18 thousand in Java Island, while in Papua one has to spend Rp40 thousand for a single toothpaste tube of the same size.
Many factors caused the price of goods in Papua incredibly high. One of them is due to expensive logistics costs. This happens because to distribute goods, a plane or a speed boat must be used to reach remote areas.
Luckily, TSE (Tunas Sawa Erma) Group through its subsidiary, PT Berkat Cipta Abadi (PT BCA) on Friday (8/4) launched its Corporate Social Contribution (CSC) program by building S-Mart, a modern retail store, which sells various staple goods at reasonable prices in Selil Village, Ulilin District, Merauke Regency. As a CSC program, S-Mart does not seek profits. That is why S-Mart is able to sell goods at prices far below the standard prices in the remote area of Papua.
“S-Mart is one of the CSC programs from TSE Group in retail, in line with the vision and mission which mostly aims to normalize prices,” said the S-Mart Operational Manager, Iqbal Tawakal.
According to Iqbal, the presence of S-Mart not only helps employees. The surrounding community also feels easier to find a variety of staple goods. So no wonder the community responded to it quite well and felt enthusiastic to shop here.
“Limited access is still the main obstacle, it is clear that the problem has been going on for quite a long time and now with S-Mart, the community has been helped a little. Now people no longer need to worry about meeting basic needs,” he said.
Frederik Hendrik Samkakai, one of the employees of PT BCA also has the same opinion regarding the problem. Before S-Mart was built, he also had to travel to Asiki, Boven Digoel Regency if he wanted to shop for groceries.
“On behalf of all employees as well as the community, we are very thankful and grateful for the presence of S-Mart. This supermarket has made it easy for us, especially to meet the needs of employees who have always spent much time and cost to go to Asiki,” said the Papuan native.
Frederik stated that he strongly supported the building of S-Mart in the region. Additionally, he hopes that in the future, S-Mart’s services will be even better and ready to assist the employees and the local community by providing various basic needs at affordable prices.
In line with Frederik, a Boven Digoel native named Cordolla Oliva Kayamat expressed her gratitude for the S-Mart’s presence. “Before, we had to shop in Asiki, and it requires a fairly long distance to reach and the prices in Asiki are also higher than here.”
S-Mart is a modern retail store initiated by TSE Group through the CSC program. In addition to a variety of basic needs such as rice, sugar, soap, packaged drinks, and others, S-Mart also provides clothing for all ages as well as needs for babies and toddlers.
The inauguration of S-Mart was attended by the President Director of PT BCA, Cho Hyun Mo and the General Manager of PT BCA, Kim Tae Soo. This is the second store after PT Dongin Prabhawa of TSE Group built S-Mart in Maam Village, Ngguti District, Merauke Regency. (pr)
PHOTO DOCUMENTATION
Ribbon cutting ceremony at the inauguration of S-Mart
S-Mart inauguration ceremony
Mothers and children looking at staple goods at S-Mart
Items sold at S-Mart
