The Regional Public Company (Perumda) Pasar Makassar Raya has officially established a strategic partnership with the IBK Nitro Institute of Business and Finance, Makassar, to host a higher education scholarship program. This collaborative initiative is specifically aimed at the children of traditional merchants operating under the auspices of the Regional-Owned Enterprise (BUMD).
The President Director of Perumda Pasar Makassar Raya, Ali Gauli Arief, explained that this step is a concrete form of social concern as well as an appreciation for the merchants' loyalty. The presence of this scholarship program is expected to reduce the financial hurdles that often prevent low-income merchant families from sending their children to college.
In its initial implementation phase, this joint program will target seven main traditional markets in Makassar City, including Sentral Market, Butung Market, Pa’baeng-baeng Market, Terong Market, Daya Market, Toddopoli Market, and Pannampu Market. A total quota of 35 slots has been prepared for the inaugural phase, with an allocation of five selected merchants' children from each market.
In line with this, the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business at IBK Nitro Makassar, Dr. Sujatmiko, explained that the program is designed to facilitate access to business education for families of micro-entrepreneurs. Scholarship recipients will be completely exempted from the registration fee of IDR 300,000 and the admission fee of IDR 6 million. They will only be charged a subsidized tuition fee (UKT) of IDR 350,000 per month, with the remaining cost covered by the partner institution.
Beneficiary students are free to choose from various study programs relevant to today's digital economy needs. These choices include a Diploma III (D3) in Finance and Banking, as well as Bachelor's (S1) programs in Entrepreneurship, Digital Business, and Management, with various specific concentrations such as financial management, capital markets, and Islamic banking.
