Why Human Resources are the Most Important

There are many factors that influence level of prosperity in a country, and one of the most important things is human resource quality. That is the opinion of Sukanto Tanoto, the owner of Royal Golden Eagle Group that comprises of many successful companies in several countries. In Indonesia, he is famous as the owner of Asian Agri, a palm oil company famous for providing crude palm oil supply for local and international businesses.

According to him, while natural resources are important for a country’s industry, human resources hold more important roles. Good human resources will turn natural resources into sources of prosperity in efficient ways.

Education Important to Create Good Human Resources

As an owner of a palm oil company, Sukanto Tanoto thinks that natural resources will not bring any goodness if there are no high quality human resources that make use of them. Therefore, many of his CSR programs are related to education and training, both for the farmers and local communities around the company area. He believes that educating and training farmers, including the independent plasma farmers that are close with the company facilities, will bring more benefits to the company in the future.

Some of his programs are, such as: creating Asian Agri training center for local farmers, conducting training programs for plasma farmers, supporting education activities around local areas, fixing and developing local schools, and helping local children to go to school and earn scholarships. These are programs specifically chosen to emphasize the importance of education aspect in growing community economy, which finally will have impact on national prosperity.

Scholarships and Funding to Create better Human Resources

As a successful businessman who earned his wealth from self-learning (he stopped attending school at 17), Sukanto Tanoto realized that education will create better human resource quality and also give them better opportunities in the future. This is why he created scholarship, grant and funding program for students and lecturers, not only in Indonesia but also in other countries such as Singapore and China. His scholarships have helped many students continuing their education, and some of the scholarship recipients are also involved in his giving-back activities and events.

For Sukanto Tanoto, spending money to create high quality human resources is important for the long run, because high quality human resource gives more benefits to the company, which impacts on the national prosperity. Education, therefore, is the best investment someone can make for success, including the owner of multinational company.

Preschool Project Aimed for Wider Education Target

As a man with huge concern of education, no wonder if the newest project of Sukanto Tanoto was the building of new preschool in North Jakarta, PAUD Kenanga 17. The school was built to provide the best early education for local children, since education is considered important for the social skill and knowledge building of children. Sukanto Tanoto is someone that has good appreciation for education, and his pilot preschool project is one of his efforts to increase education quality among Indonesian children.

However, his pilot project was more than just giving early education for preschool kids. He has bigger goal behind the whole project: to increase the standard of living of people around the area, starting from the students’ parents.

 How Increased Economy Can Help the School

Sukanto Tanoto believes that children learn from imitating their parents. When their parents do something good or bad, it is just a matter of time before children start to mimicking them. Therefore, parents must have positive mentality and attitude so their children can have better achievements in their own life and education. In the future, Tanoto Foundation will provide extra means for parents to get additional income and increase their standard of living, including providing more job opportunities.

From the amazing arrays of educational tools to professionally trained teachers, this preschool education program is expected to change the views of parents, especially those who think that preschool is not important. Also, after increasing the standard of life of the children’s parents, Sukanto hopes that the children’s parents will also have active role in supporting many activities of the school. 

Why Early Education is Important

Imelda Tanoto, Sukanto Tanoto’s  daughter who runs the foundation, explained on the launching day that early education project from her father is in accordance with Tanoto Foundation’s philosophy: Empowerment of the community, Education, and Enhancement of lifestyle quality. Also, she explained that children who get early education will have better chance to develop business and be success, and be trained better in motor and sensory skills.

Also, she explained that Indonesian government wants 72% of children in Indonesia gets early education program, to increase the possibility of being successful in life and education. The early education will help students to cope and adapt with learning environment, and increases their opportunity to be more successful later in life. This preschool project by Sukanto Tanoto was expected to expand more.

Launch of New Pre School in North Jakarta

As a successful business owner who has high appreciation for good education, SukantoTanoto has many philanthropy projects aimed for education improvement in various areas in Indonesia. This year, his newest project for education is building new preschool in North Jakarta, complete with various education equipment, tools and trained teachers. Named PAUD Kenanga 17, the school started to operate in March, with 150 students and 9 teachers.

Preschool with Complete Educational Facilities

Sukanto Tanoto believes that education is the best tool to reach success, reminiscing his own youth when he could not continue basic education. This new preschool in Jakarta is his contribution to basic education, especially since preschool is a place to shape a kid’s personality, social skills and motor as well as sensory skills from very young age. Therefore, he decided that a preschool is the perfect start for children’s education. This preschool is his newest project based on his personal philosophy about success.

In order to support the education of students at PAUD Kenanga 17, the contribution from Tanoto Foundation was not only the building and facilities, but also educational tools, teacher props, furniture, library, educational books and many more. With complete facilities, Sukanto hopes that the school can contribute well to students in local areas, especially toddlers. Good early education for local children is the best contribution, and Sukanto Tanoto plans to open other schools in different areas so there will be more children that get opportunities for good education.

Trained Teachers for PAUD Kenanga 17

In order to complete the high quality educational program at this new preschool, all 9 new teachers for this school will be given teacher training as initiative from local government, cooperating with Tanoto Foundation. Meanwhile, the foundation also plans to educate and train local people around the school to have independent business and increase their income, and they will later be able to support the school operational cost.

Imelda Tanoto, Sukanto Tanoto’s daughter and board of trustee member from Tanoto Foundation attended the first launching day of the school, together with the Jakarta governor assistant for public welfare Bambang Sugiyono, and vice mayor of North Jakarta Tri Kuniardi. In the event, she echoed the wisdom of his father, the founder of Tanoto Foundation, about the importance of education for better future and big success.

Sukanto Tanoto is a man with successful businesses, but he is still very concerned about education, including early education, because he knows it is important for success.

One man's Global Expansion for Pulp Industry

Indonesia is well known for its pulp industry, and palm oil magnate Sukanto Tanoto is also famous for his global reach of pulp business and investment. His pulp industry has reached not only various areas in Indonesia, but also to other countries. His newest investment was in Brazil, where he acquired stocks from forest concession holder companies for Bahia Pulp, which made him spending around $400 million of investment fund.

Being afraid of investing is definitely not Sukanto Tanoto’s definition of successful business, and he has proved it through his various pulp investments and businesses.

Global King of Pulp from Indonesia

Sukanto Tanoto has Toba Pulp Lestari and RAPP, two pulp factories in North Sumatra and Riau, and both produce more than 4 millions of ton per year. The companies currently have more than 20,000 partner companies, spread in various areas in Indonesia. However, Sukanto Tanoto does not stop to building pulp kingdom in Indonesia. He continued to expand his business even to other countries, in amazing results and huge amounts of investment value.

For example, Sukanto Tanoto has now made Singapore as his center of business operation, with Asia Pacific Resources International Holding Ltd. This company has even made a name at New York Stock Exchange, and became center of pulp business in Singapore. Meanwhile, he has also acquired a large pulp factory in Malaysia since 1997, as well as two more in China. In these projects, he even worked together with UPM Kymmene, a Finland based pulp factory. In Philippine, he also has a company called National Development Corporation Guthrie. Clearly, he has made quite a name in Asia and Europe market.

Sukanto Tanoto’s global business expansion showed his resilience, innovation and courage to develop and expand his business, which was started from a family based car accessories and contractor business.