Indonesian president, Bill Gates discuss philanthropic collaboration

Efforts to enhance collaboration on philanthropy, especially through the development of the Danantara Trust Fund have been discussed by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and the founder of the Gates Foundation, Bill Gates.

Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and the founder of the Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, discussed efforts to enhance collaboration on philanthropy, especially through the development of the Danantara Trust Fund, in Jakarta, Wednesday (May 7).

Indonesia’s Minister of Investment and Downstream/Head of the Investment Coordinating Board, who is also the Head of the Danantara Investment Management Board, Rosan Roeslani, in his press statement said that Danantara is currently forming the Danantara Trust Fund.

This aims to expand social contributions in the fields of education, sanitation, and improving the standard of living of the Indonesian people, the Indonesian Cabinet Secretariat said in a written statement quoted by Indonesia Window on Thursday.

“If we look at it, we have indeed run the numbers. At the beginning of the year we will indeed put in 100 million USD, and we have seen the numbers. Maybe in five to six years we will be able to give 1 billion USD to the Danantara Trust Fund,” Rosan told journalists after the meeting.

According to Rosan, this collaboration has begun to be discussed intensively with the Gates Foundation. In the plan, the foundation is expected to participate in supporting joint funding in the Danantara Trust Fund.

“We discussed the collaboration with the Gates Foundation yesterday (May 6), for them to also put in funds together with us, and we also offer to open collaboration with us in the Danantara Trust Fund,” he explained.

The main goal of this initiative is to make Indonesia one of the centers of philanthropic activities in the ASEAN region, Rosan emphasized, while inviting international entrepreneurs and philanthropists to contribute.

“So that’s what we want to encourage because it will have a very, very positive impact on all of us,” Roslan noted, stating that Danantara will coordinate this program with various state-owned enterprises that already have their own Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs.

Coordination is carried out to make social activities become more structured, sustainable, and in line with government programs.

“We want this CSR program to have a big impact, which is sustainable and continuous, not just ad-hoc,” he said.

Currently, the process of forming this collaboration is underway, according to Rosan, saying that two representatives from the Gates Foundation have been appointed to continue further technical discussions.

“We hope that this will follow international standards. What we want to attract is not only philanthropists from Indonesia, but also from ASEAN, from other countries. The most important thing is that we will carry out this program openly, transparently, and can be monitored by all media friends,” Rosan said.

Reporting by Indonesia Window