Asian Development Bank Engages with Makassar on Financial Governance and Management

MAKASSAR — On August 29, 2024, Acting Regional Secretary of Makassar City, Firman Hamid Pagarra, welcomed a delegation from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to his office.

The meeting was attended by Municipal Financial Expert at ADB, Ms. Myriam Fernandez De Heredia, Associate Director at Crisil-ADB, Ms. Pompiya Mondal, and key local officials including Andi Zulkifli Nanda from the City Planning Board (Bappeda), Helmy Budiman from the Investment Services Office (Dinas PTSP), Iswady from the Regional Financial and Asset Management Agency (BPKAD), and Fuad Arfandi from the Regional Revenue Agency (Bapenda).

Firman expressed appreciation for the ADB’s visit, noting that it provided a valuable opportunity for discussions on enhancing financial governance in Makassar. “We are honored to engage directly with ADB’s team. The discussions today focused on various aspects crucial for improving our city’s financial management,” Firman said.

The purpose of the visit was to review the operational and financial management practices of Makassar City and to identify opportunities to strengthen the city’s financial capacity for implementing proposed projects and sectoral plans outlined in the Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD).

The discussions covered six main areas: institutional management, economic performance, governance, financial performance, cash management, and debt management.

“We welcome this visit and the opportunity to collaborate with ADB’s team, including representatives from Bappeda, Bapenda, BPKAD, and Dinas PTSP,” Firman added.

He hopes that the meeting will result in valuable insights and recommendations from ADB to further enhance the financial and governance practices in Makassar.

ADB is an international development institution that provides financial support, investment, and technical assistance to promote economic growth and cooperation across Asia. (Uki Ruknuddin)