North Sulawesi's Investment Target Reaches 109%, Governor Yulius Attracts Bugis-Makassar Merchants

Governor of North Sulawesi, Yulius Selvanus, outlined golden investment opportunities in the Land of the Coconut Palm during the 26th Bugis-Makassar Merchants Meeting at the Claro Hotel in Makassar on Thursday, 26 March 2026. In front of hundreds of national entrepreneurs, he emphasised that North Sulawesi has now transformed into the main gateway for trade with East Asia and the Pacific. The Governor’s optimism is based on the realisation of North Sulawesi’s investments throughout 2025, which reached Rp10.12 trillion. This impressive achievement exceeded the target by 109 per cent, with growth of 35.6 per cent compared to the previous year. In addition to the fantastic figures, these investments also have a real impact by opening 18,049 new jobs for the community. In his presentation, Yulius detailed the agriculture and maritime sectors as the backbone of the regional economy, which are highly promising. Coconut commodities contributed exports of up to Rp1.2 trillion per year, while the maritime sector contributed around Rp1 trillion. This is fully supported by the Bitung International Port infrastructure, which serves as the main logistics hub in eastern Indonesia. Yulius also guaranteed that North Sulawesi is a very safe and progressive business ecosystem for investors. “North Sulawesi is a mature investment ecosystem, supported by an open, tolerant society that is conducive to business development,” he said. International connectivity is an added value offered, with the opening of direct flight routes to Singapore and South Korea. This strategic step strengthens North Sulawesi’s position as Indonesia’s gateway in the Pacific region. This established infrastructure is expected to support the flow of investment and world-class tourism such as Bunaken and Lake Linow. The presentation by North Sulawesi Governor Yulius Selvanus received an immediate positive response from the Indonesian Minister of Agriculture with a commitment to add a rice field printing programme covering 10,000 hectares. In closing his remarks, Yulius invited Bugis-Makassar entrepreneurs to immediately take part in this positive trend. “This is a rare momentum. High growth, ready infrastructure, and wide-open opportunities,” he said.