Jakarta, February 26, 2025 – The Ministry of Creative Economy held an audience with Precious One to discuss programs aimed at strengthening entrepreneurship among persons with disabilities. The meeting focused on designing strategies to empower individuals with disabilities, fostering independence and competitiveness within the creative industry.
The meeting, which took place at Menara Merdeka, Jakarta, on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, was attended by the Deputy Minister of Creative Economy/Deputy Head of the Creative Economy Agency, Irene Umar. Irene emphasized that Ministry of Creative Economy collaborations focus not only on creativity but also on ensuring tangible economic impacts for entrepreneurs with disabilities.
"Ministry of Creative Economy views collaborations not only from the perspective of creativity but also in terms of the economic value they can generate. We aim to ensure that every investment, whether from the government or private sector, delivers real benefits. One effort we can undertake is forming cooperatives as drivers of production, which can assist in business financing," said Irene.
She also expressed Ministry of Creative Economy interest in organizing showcases for products created by persons with disabilities. These exhibitions are expected to increase the visibility of disability-made creative products in local and international markets while opening export opportunities through collaborations with other MSMEs.
"We want to provide space for entrepreneurs with disabilities to showcase their creativity to a wider audience. One way to achieve this is by utilizing strategic locations for exhibitions, helping their products gain greater recognition and higher market value," Irene added.
Meanwhile, Ratnawati Sutedjo, Founder of Precious One/Yayasan Karya Insan Sejahtera, shared that since its establishment in 2004, Precious One has evolved from a small sewing production house into an organization producing over 100,000 products. Currently, Precious One collaborates with seven cities and involves over 7,000 children with disabilities, with 80% of its workforce comprising individuals with disabilities.
"Precious One’s mission is to reduce unemployment among persons with disabilities by creating high-quality products crafted by them. Through this meeting, we are pleased to share our empowerment programs with Ministry of Creative Economy," said Ratnawati.
She also revealed that Precious One has successfully entered export markets in Singapore and the United States. However, she noted that many disability-owned MSMEs still require guidance to reach the export stage.
"We have already exported to Singapore and the U.S., but we recognize that other disability-owned MSMEs still need incubation and product development. We hope that Precious One can play a role in helping these MSMEs reach global markets," she explained.
Ratnawati expressed hope that the Ministry of Creative Economy would continue to support and develop creative businesses run by persons with disabilities to create broader positive impacts for the disability community in Indonesia.
"We hope the creative economy sector will increasingly support innovative, impactful, and sustainable disability-owned businesses. Additionally, mentorship programs for disability-owned MSMEs must be strengthened to foster faster growth," Ratnawati added.
Deputy Minister Irene Umar was accompanied by the Deputy for Cultural and Design Creativity, Yuke Sri Rahayu, during the meeting.
The Ministry of Creative Economy is committed to continuing collaborations with various stakeholders to strengthen an inclusive and sustainable creative economy ecosystem for all, including persons with disabilities.
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Acting Head of the Communications Bureau
Ministry of Creative Economy
