Kalla Group Contributes to Makassar’s Economy

Makassar (ANTARA) – Makassar Mayor Munafri Arifuddin said the 74-year-old Kalla Group had supported economic growth and development in the city through its business activities, employment and collaboration with the local government.

“This has been a very long journey. The group’s presence in Makassar shows that a company can grow here and endure for 74 years,” Munafri said on Saturday evening at the Kalla Group’s 74th anniversary family gathering in Makassar.

He said Kalla Group’s growth from a Makassar-based company demonstrated the important role businesses play in driving the regional economy and supporting development across various sectors.

“The city’s economic engine is running very well thanks to collaboration between the government and the private sector. More importantly, the investment climate here is very good,” he said.

Munafri also highlighted developments in employment in Makassar. He said the open unemployment rate had fallen from 10.6 per cent to 9.6 per cent compared with the previous year.

He said continued growth in business activity was expected to create more job opportunities and deliver economic benefits to the public.

One example of this collaboration is the revitalisation of a park on Jalan Hasanuddin, involving the Makassar City Government and Kalla Group. The project is expected to improve the quality of public open space and enhance the urban area.

He expressed hope that Kalla Group and other businesses would continue to expand their operations and strengthen partnerships with the government to support sustainable development.

“Kalla will continue working alongside the city government to develop the city across all the sectors we are building together,” he said.

Munafri also praised the unity of the wider Kalla Group family, which he said had helped the company remain sustainable as it reached its 74th year.

He said the family gathering was not only a celebration of the anniversary but also an opportunity to strengthen ties among the company’s leadership, employees and their families as part of its business ecosystem.

Munafri expressed hope that cooperation between the government and businesses would continue to grow, so that Makassar’s economic growth could bring broader benefits to the community’s welfare.