News in Depth, September 2015
City
of Makassar gets a big momentum, again.
In September 2015, there are four series of international events hosted
in “Kota Daeng”; a well-known nickname for Makassar. Diverse ideas, insights, and breakthroughs
about the future cities will certainly be born there. Forums that can result in historical leap to
this city.
Human Relation Room at Balaikota, the
Mayor Office, seems so busy that day. The
staffs walk to and fro alternately. The
situation looks slightly different from usual days. These bustles are part of the City of
Makassar preparation as a host. Host for
four series of international-level events held on 8-10 September 2015.
The four series of events, set in a
unity, are ASEAN Mayors Forum, Makassar Global Expo, ASEAN Community Week, and
Makassar Investment Forum. All these
events is initiated by some well known organizations that is United Cities and Local Government Asia Pacific (UCL G ASPAC), Asosiasi
Pemerintah Kota Seluruh Indonesia ( APEKSI), ASEAN and Municipality of
Makassar.
This forum will be a far-reaching and
crucial event and keeps great hopes especially for Makassar and other cities
within the eastern part of Indonesia. It
is said so since around 200 mayors from ASEAN countries, around 400 of head of
districts (or Kelurahan), 20
governors, 10 ministers and around 100 international entrepreneurs or business
representatives will participate in the event. Theme of the forum, that takes place at Four
Point Convention (by Sheraton Hotel), is “Adaptive and Intelligent Cities for
an Integrated Borderless Prosperous Region”.
This theme is observant to give raise to some important and crucial
issues towards the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). AEC will apply at the end of
2015 year.
One of the main issues within the
framework of ASEAN Economic Community 2015 application is dealing with the
future challenges. These challenges are
especially more important issues for local governments who will have direct relations
with “Borderless ASEAN” dynamics. Within this AEC framework, local governments
plays the crucial role as vanguard in bring into play the country’s performance
with maximal results.
In addition to this role, local
government is as nucleus or center that determines synergy. The synergy supports entirely and thoroughly
for achievement of the ASEAN Community objectives. Therefore, and for this purpose, it is highly
demanded for a joint movement and cooperation and for a strong network
establishment among ASEAN local governments.
Within this framework, this international-level event aims at fostering
a regional platform to strengthen the networking among local governments
through knowledge sharing as well as mutual learning with relevant
stakeholders.
The forum aims also at developing key
policy framework and instruments to support adaptive and intelligent cities and
to establish a stronger ASEAN Community.
Other aim is to prepare and raise awareness of local stakeholders for
regional agenda of ASEAN Community 2015.
Aspect that is also important to achieve these aims is the establishment
of experience and best-practices exchanges among ASEAN countries, the
identification of all potentials for collaborations, and the development of
harmony relationship, either among local governments or between local
governments and private sectors.
It is not surprise that UCLG ASPAC,
APEKSI or Indonesia Municipalities Association, and ASEAN has appointed
Makassar to host this substantial events.
In the regional aspect, the city also known as Anging Mammiri has geographical position that immensely
shines. As a gate to enter to the
eastern part of Indonesia, Makassar has been as the center point and
gravitation for economic and politic. In
economic term, Makassar skyrocketed with the growth rate over 9% per year. It is far beyond the national economic
growth.
It is considered that Makassar has great
potential and prospect for transformative leap towards future city. The future city with its significant and
critical role to establish synergy and harmony collaboration, partnership, or
joint action, and networking in the ASEAN Economic Community 2015 era. Apart from the potentials, and during Mr Moh.
Ramdhan Pomanto’s management, City of Makassar showed its keen and strong
passion on innovation. The Mayor has
made some breakthroughs public. And
later, local and national governments worldwide, but especially from ASEAN pay
great attentions to these breakthroughs.
It is no wonders that at the third day
of the forum, on 10 September 2015, a special agenda has been set. The agenda deals with a Thematic Technical
Field Visit some of products from policy breakthroughs such as to Lorong Garden, Lorong Apartment, Home Care and Smart Card. One important session of the forum is a
Makassar Declaration as an agreement and binder among the local governments
within the South-East Asia region or ASEAN.*
Firmansyah Nasaruddin
redaksi@smartcitymakassar.com
