VZCZCXRO0097
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #2617/01 2610658
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 180658Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6315
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0815
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1196
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 1772
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002617 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR A/S HILL AND EAP/MTS 
TREASURY FOR IA-BAUKOL 
SINGAPORE FOR BAKER 
DEPT PASS USTR FOR DBHATIA AND DKATZ 
COMMERCE FOR 4430/GOLIKE 
ENERGY FOR A/S HARBERT, CUTLER AND GILLESPIE 
 
E.O. 12598: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EAID EINV PGOV ID
SUBJECT: U/S Jeffery - Corporate Social Responsibility Discussions 
with GE and Citi 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary. Two prominent U.S.-headquartered companies briefed 
Under Secretary Jeffery on their integration of corporate social 
responsibility (CSR) into their overall business plans for 
Indonesia.  GE and Citi both said CSR activities in Indonesia are 
tightly integrated with their corporate values and further their 
bottom line.  Ambassador Hume also used the occasion to recognize 
both companies for their selection as finalists in the Secretary of 
State's Award for Corporate Excellence.  End Summary. 
 
GE Indonesia 
------------ 
 
¶2. (SBU) GE Southeast Asia President Stuart Dean told Under 
Secretary Jeffery on September 10 that General Electric views CSR as 
 
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the right thing to do morally, but that it is also an important way 
for U.S. companies to level the playing field in countries with high 
levels of corruption.  Dean said they can cement partnerships 
without bribes by showing concrete benefits to their host nation. 
Dean said that GE volunteers have donated over one million hours of 
service in Indonesia.  They committed over 5,000 hours of volunteer 
effort to re-building homes in partnership with Habitat for Humanity 
as part of tsunami relief efforts in Aceh.  The company and 
employees worldwide together donated more than $20 million for 
tsunami relief with half of those donations going to Indonesia.  GE 
 
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also gave the Government of Indonesia (GOI) portable water treatment 
systems in Aceh, as well as medical diagnostic equipment. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Dean spotlighted a unique CSR activity that GE undertakes 
all over the world to provide in-kind contributions of equipment and 
expertise for night lighting projects for world landmarks.  In 
Indonesia, the GE team created a visually stunning light design for 
the ancient temple complex at Borobudur in Yogyakarta.  Dean 
expressed pride in GE's long-time support for Special Olympics in 
Indonesia.  He singled out for special mention, however, the 
entrepreneurship program that their Indonesian employees created to 
help disadvantaged youths, including high school drop outs.  More 
than 2,000 young people have received the benefit of training and a 
revolving fund to help start businesses.  Looking to the future, 
Dean said GE will be focusing its community engagement on financial 
literacy for underprivileged women, HIV-AIDS awareness, combating 
bullying in schools, and raising environmental awareness among young 
people. 
 
Citi Indonesia 
-------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) On September 11, Citi Indonesia Senior Vice President 
Ditta Amahorseya provided U/S Jeffery with a detailed overview of 
Citi's CSR program in Indonesia.  She said Citi's CSR strategy makes 
an impact in four ways by:  maintaining their profitability in 
country, providing a stable employment source for Indonesians, 
engaging in philanthropy, and assisting Indonesia in promoting 
sustainable financial development.  Citi CSR programs range from 
simple activities like allowing their employees to take one day off 
every year to engage in philanthropic work to more elaborate 
programs such as providing financial education and extending grants 
to socially responsible and innovative micro-entrepreneurs and 
small- and medium-sized enterprises. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Citi Indonesia's education programs include $500 grants 
for teachers with creative teaching programs, a semester-long 
university course in banking at University of Indonesia, and the 
distribution of financial education materials to fifth and sixth 
graders to expose them to money management concepts.  Citi Indonesia 
also works with the Central Bank of Indonesia to provide financial 
skills to potential borrowers in poor communities.  In an effort to 
build a culture of strong nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in 
Indonesia, Citi provides management training to local NGOs to 
enhance their budget and project planning capacity.  Citi Indonesia 
also provides assistance for natural disasters.  Citi programs in 
Banda Aceh included the building of 300 new homes and several school 
facilities.  In addition, Citi followed the rebuilding program with 
microfinance activities in the same villages to allow tsunami 
survivors to start new businesses. Citi has contributed almost $3 
million their CSR programs and they plan to continue expanding these 
initiatives, according to Ditta. 
 
JAKARTA 00002617  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶6. (U) Ambassador Hume also used the occasion of U/S Jeffery's visit 
to recognize both companies for their selection as finalists in the 
Secretary of State's Award for Corporate Excellence.  Ambassador 
 
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Hume thanked both companies for their good work in Indonesia and 
presented a commemorative plaque, honoring their status as 
finalists.  In his remarks at GE, the ambassador noted GE's planned 
engagement on HIV/AIDS.  He said he was disturbed to hear that the 
infection rate projections for Papua are converging with those of 
Africa and urged GE to consider focusing its efforts there. 
 
¶7. (U) U/S Jeffery cleared this cable. 
 
HUME