Coastal Community Empowerment, Pertamina Sahabat Nelayan Program Provide 15 Fishers with Boat Engine Repair Training

Semarang, February 23, 2022 – As an effort to realize commitment for community empowerment on the north coast of Semarang, PT Pertamina Patra Niaga Central Java Region, through the Semarang Integrated Terminal, held a Boat Engine Repair Training at the Workshop in the Gedung Balai Besar Penangkapan Ikan, Semarang for five days from Monday (14/2) to Thursday (18/2).

Synergizing with the Semarang Fishing Center (BBPI) of the Directorate General of Capture Fisheries, Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, the Technical Assistance for Boat Engine Repair begins with a pre-test and presentation of machinery materials for participants on Monday (14/02), boat engine disassembly and engine spare parts replacement on Tuesday (15/02), as well as boat engine installation and boat engine performance testing on Wednesday (16/02). On Thursday (17/02), the participants will be given training on using welding machines, lathes, and grinding machines, followed by a post-test and closing activities on Friday (18/02).

Brasto Galih Nugroho, Area Manager Communication, Relations & CSR of Pertamina Patra Niaga Central Java Region, said the Boat Engine Repair Workshop is part of the Pertamina Sahabat Nelayan programs, which aims to develop fishers' abilities. Therefore, they can operate a boat repair shop.

"This training is the begining of Pertamina Sahabat Nelayan's series of Programmes. The fifteen fishers who received this training were the representatives of the Eastern Region Fishers' Forum. Soon, Pertamina will provide a workshop managed by the forum that will be ready to serve fishing boat repair services with the standards and quality required by the BBPI team," said Brasto.

There are three fisher's boat engines utilized in the repair training, which have corrosion on the inside, broken parts, and black smoke coming out of the engine.

"Black smoke from the engine is caused by the incomplete combustion in the boat engine," said the representative of the mentor from BBPI on Thursday

The Pertamina Sahabat Nelayan program is not only limited to human resource development activities. It is also a forum for fishers to increase their income from boat engine repair workshops in the Tanjung Mas area.

Meanwhile, Iwan Agus Subroto, Head of the Technical Services and Maintenance of Technical Equipment at the Semarang Fishing Center (BBPI), expressed his appreciation to Pertamina.

“With this skill training, fishers are greatly helped because they can independently repair the boat engines that they use daily. The training activities for five days have been going well. We hope that this collaboration can continue in other activities," he said at the closing ceremony of the training.

Align with what was conveyed by representatives of BBPI, Brasto also expressed his enthusiastic appreciation of the participants and mentors in this training activity.

“We appreciate the enthusiasm of BBPI, mentors, and participants in this training activity. Hopefully, what the mentors from BBPI teach can be useful in the daily activities of fishers, including machine maintenance. Therefore, they can become more efficient and reduce costs. It is hoped that after this training, the participants can implement their knowledge at the Pertamina Sahabat Pertamina Workshop, established by Pertamina in the Tanjung Mas area," he concluded.

The Pertamina Sahabat Nelayan program is Pertamina's contribution to supporting the government, especially in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals point 4, quality education, and point 8, decent work and economic growth.**