Discussing Economic Competitiveness, BPS Sulbar Presents Portrait of Sulbar's Economy

Mamuju - The Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda) of West Sulawesi Province held a Cross-Sectoral Economic Forum with the theme "Increasing Economic Competitiveness Through Strengthening Regional Leading Sectors" at Hotel d'Maleo (07/06). This event was attended by various vertical agencies and OPDs in West Sulawesi. The Head of BPS for West Sulawesi Province, Tina Wahyufitri, attended the invitation as one of the speakers.

 Head of Bappeda of West Sulawes Province, Junda Maulana, said that West Sulawesi faces several development problems, including economic performance that is not yet accelerating, high poverty rate, low fiscal capacity, low Human Development Index (IPM), high stunting rate, high child marriage rate , and inadequate infrastructure.

 On the other hand, Junda added, West Sulawesi also has opportunities and strengths to increase economic competitiveness, including large natural resources, fairly stable economic growth, a workforce of 80 percent of the population, West Sulawesi's geographical location which is strategic and close to National Capital (IKN).

 Steps that need to be taken by the local government for the opportunities and economic strengths that West Sulawesi has include optimizing natural resources, especially plantations, improving the quality of human resources, establishing connectivity with surrounding areas such as the island of Kalimantan and the provinces on the island of Sulawesi, and strengthening the economy West Sulawesi tourism sector, said Junda.

 "The essence of today's meeting is how West Sulawesi's economy grows and is able to reduce poverty, stunting, non-school children, child marriage, and inflation," said Junda ending his presentation.

 The Head of BPS for West Sulawesi Province, Tina Wahyufitri, presented material on a portrait of West Sulawesi's economy and its leading sectors. "The agricultural sector is still the largest contributor to West Sulawesi's economy with 44.19 percent of the 2022 ADHB GRDP. The annual plantation sub-sector is the largest contributor to the agricultural sector with 20.55 percent," said Tina in her presentation. In the first quarter of 2023, the agricultural sector's contribution to West Sulawesi's GRDP increased to 44.46 percent with the largest contributor still being the annual plantation sub-sector.

 Tina added, West Sulawesi's other economic challenges were the Covid-19 Pandemic and the Mamuju Earthquake in early 2021. "From 2013 to 2019, West Sulawesi's economic growth has always been above national economic growth, but since the pandemic and the earthquake, West Sulawesi's economic growth is always below the national one," continued Tina.

 The economic sub-sectors that were most severely affected included the business fields of electricity and gas procurement, information and communication, financial and insurance services, and real estate.

 The main economic sub-sectors owned by West Sulawesi come from the annual plantation sub-sector, namely oil palm, coffee and cocoa besides rice which comes from the food crops sub-sector. Another leading sub-sector is the fisheries sub-sector with a contribution of 26.05 percent.