The Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) has driven the development of local SMEs. Over the past five years, the number of enterprises in Morowali Regency, Central Sulawesi Province, has surged by 62.7%, rebounding to 7,643 in March 2025. Significant growth was seen in 2023, reaching 6,617 in February and 7,299 in August; growth slowed in 2024, with only a slight increase to 7,318. The presence of IMIP Industrial Park has greatly promoted the development of local MSMEs, which have sprung up like mushrooms after rain. Rows of small shops, stalls, and semi-permanent store buildings have become a bustling scene in residents' lives. Local MSME activities have absorbed up to 16,705 workers, mainly consisting of grocery stores also selling fuel (981), beverage stalls (735), and semi-permanent food stalls (670), as well as kiosks (648), restaurants (591), mobile phone kiosks (274), repair shops (274), clothing, shoe, and protective equipment stores (263), and medium-sized kiosks (246). In 2024, the number of local SMEs grew by 14.9%, closely linked to the population inflow driven by the development of the nickel processing industry in the IMIP park, some of whom are new residents from outside Central Sulawesi Province. Indonesian MSMEs dominate economic growth, absorb labor, and support regional GDP growth. They are the backbone of the local economy and an important pillar of residents' daily lives. A local restaurant owner who has been running a restaurant there since 2018 initially had mediocre business. Later, as factories in the IMIP park began operations in October 2024, customer numbers increased and business flourished. He extended the restaurant’s operating hours to 24 hours, expanded the dining area, and now employs at least 18 people, including chefs, waiters, and delivery drivers.
The Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) has driven the development of local SMEs. Over the past five years, the number of enterprises in Morowali Regency, Central Sulawesi Province, has surged by 62.7%, rebounding to 7,643 in March 2025. Significant growth was seen in 2023, reaching 6,617 in February and 7,299 in August; growth slowed in 2024, with only a slight increase to 7,318. The presence of IMIP Industrial Park has greatly promoted the development of local MSMEs, which have sprung up like mushrooms after rain. Rows of small shops, stalls, and semi-permanent store buildings have become a bustling scene in residents' lives. Local MSME activities have absorbed up to 16,705 workers, mainly consisting of grocery stores also selling fuel (981), beverage stalls (735), and semi-permanent food stalls (670), as well as kiosks (648), restaurants (591), mobile phone kiosks (274), repair shops (274), clothing, shoe, and protective equipment stores (263), and medium-sized kiosks (246). In 2024, the number of local SMEs grew by 14.9%, closely linked to the population inflow driven by the development of the nickel processing industry in the IMIP park, some of whom are new residents from outside Central Sulawesi Province. Indonesian MSMEs dominate economic growth, absorb labor, and support regional GDP growth. They are the backbone of the local economy and an important pillar of residents' daily lives. A local restaurant owner who has been running a restaurant there since 2018 initially had mediocre business. Later, as factories in the IMIP park began operations in October 2024, customer numbers increased and business flourished. He extended the restaurant’s operating hours to 24 hours, expanded the dining area, and now employs at least 18 people, including chefs, waiters, and delivery drivers.