Kendari, 26 August 2025 – Minister of Creative Economy Teuku Riefky Harsya visited the Merah Putih Cooperative in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, on Monday, 26 August 2025. The visit serves as a concrete follow-up to President Prabowo Subianto’s commitment to strengthening the people’s economy and building a cooperative-based creative ecosystem, as well as implementing the memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Creative Economy and the Ministry of Cooperatives.
Dok. Biro Komunikasi Kemenekraf - Menteri Ekonomi Kreatif, Teuku Riefky Harsya, meninjau Koperasi Merah Putih dan juga bertemu dengan para pelaku ekonomi kreatif, Kendari, Senin (26/08/2025)
“The President emphasized the importance of strengthening the people’s economy, with cooperatives serving as one of its main pillars. The Merah Putih Cooperative in Bende is a real embodiment of the vision to build independence from the village level for shared prosperity,” stated the Minister of Creative Economy.
On this occasion, the Minister of Creative Economy also met with local creative economy players. He highlighted the importance of collaboration between cooperatives and creative economy actors to establish a healthy, productive, and independent business ecosystem in rural areas.
“The Ministry of Creative Economy is committed to ensuring that cooperatives grow as centers of creative enterprise and learning spaces for young people, while also serving as gateways to wider markets,” the Minister of Creative Economy explained.
Communication Bureau of the Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency.
According to the Minister of Creative Economy, the Ministry of Creative Economy vision is to position the creative economy as a new engine of national economic growth starting from the regions. Strengthening cooperatives will shorten the distribution chain of creative products, make prices more competitive, and improve the welfare of creative entrepreneurs.
The Minister also emphasized that the Merah Putih Cooperative must evolve not only as a solution for distribution, but also as a driver of capacity building for creative economy players, particularly in Kendari.
Communication Bureau of the Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency.
“We hope that through this visit, concrete steps can be implemented to strengthen the creative economy ecosystem, including training, assistance, and pilot projects that position the Merah Putih Cooperative as a successful model of people’s economy based on creativity, which can be replicated in other regions,” he remarked.
During the visit, the Minister and the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights also handed over three Intellectual Property certificates to:
Tunggala Brand – Fried Shallots
Kelorku Brand – Moringa Sticks and Tea
Stay Home Brand – Chips
Communication Bureau of the Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency.
Through this visit and the handover of Intellectual Property certificates, the Ministry of Creative Economy reaffirms its commitment to strengthening cross-sector collaboration, ensuring that village cooperatives become a true part of the national creative ecosystem, and making development from the regions a tangible expression of independence that is increasingly felt by society.
Also present at the visit were Southeast Sulawesi Deputy Governor Hugua, Kendari Mayor Siska Karina Imran, Head of the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Office of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights Topan Sopuan, officials of the Kendari City Government, Kadia Subdistrict Head Hasman Dani, Bende Village Head Muhammad Adi Niasse, and village leaders from across Kendari as well as cooperative management.
The Minister was accompanied by Ministry Secretary Dessy Ruhati and Head of HSDMO Bureau Moch. Nurul Huda.
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Acting Head of Communication Bureau
Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency
