Jakarta, 10 March, 2026 – The Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency and the Ministry of Culture have agreed to strengthen cross-sector synergy in the protection, development, utilization, and guidance of culture in a holistic and sustainable manner. The agreement is outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to realize synergy between the development of the creative economy and the advancement of culture.
The Minister of Creative Economy, Teuku Riefky Harsya, together with the Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to realize synergy between the development of the creative economy and the advancement of culture in Jakarta, Tuesday (March 10, 2026).
The signing of the MoU took place at the Ministry of Culture office in Jakarta between the Minister of Creative Economy / Head of the Creative Economy Agency, Teuku Riefky Harsya, and the Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon. Minister of Creative Economy Teuku Riefky stated that the MoU represents an important step, as culture can be seen as the upstream source, while the creative economy serves as the downstream sector that adds economic value and reaches wider markets.
“The extraordinary richness of culture serves as the main source of inspiration for many creative products such as films, music, fashion, crafts, culinary creations, and digital content. The Ministry of Creative Economy places culture as one of the key foundations for the creation of creative works that not only generate economic value but also carry a strong Indonesian identity,” said Minister of Creative Economy Teuku Riefky during the MoU signing on Tuesday, March 10, 2026.
Minister of Creative Economy Teuku Riefky also expressed hope that the ecosystem connecting culture as a source of inspiration and the creative industry as a driver of economic growth will become even stronger. Furthermore, he stated that Indonesia’s cultural wealth will continue to be preserved while also providing broader economic benefits for the Indonesian people.
Doc: Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
The scope of the collaboration includes the synchronization and support of policies and programs for the development of the creative economy and the advancement of culture; the implementation of cultural and creative economy diplomacy; strengthening the protection and facilitation of intellectual property in the creative economy and cultural advancement; conducting joint studies for the development of the creative economy and cultural advancement; enhancing the capacity and competence of human resources in the fields of the creative economy and culture; the exchange and utilization of data and/or information; as well as other forms of cooperation or activities in accordance with the duties and functions of both parties.
Minister of Culture Fadli Zon stated that the MoU serves as a framework that can be aligned through various collaborative initiatives. He emphasized that such synergy is essential to maximize Indonesia’s cultural wealth, which reflects a mega-diverse heritage consisting of 1,340 ethnic groups, 708 languages, and 2,727 recorded items of Indonesia’s intangible cultural heritage documented by the Ministry of Culture, with the potential to reach tens of thousands more across the archipelago.
“In UNESCO, around 16 Indonesian cultural elements have been inscribed, including intangible cultural heritage such as wayang, keris, angklung, pinisi, gamelan, pencak silat, Balinese dance, Acehnese dance, pantun, jamu, Reog Ponorogo, kolintang, and kebaya. This year, we are also proposing two additional elements that will be announced at the end of the year, namely tempe as a cultural expression and Makyong. Therefore, we also see that these cultural assets can later be developed into intellectual property,” said the Minister of Culture.
Doc: Bureau for Communication, Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency.
Also present at the event were Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni, Deputy Minister of Culture Giring Ganesha Djumaryo, Deputy Minister of Forestry Rohmat Marzuki, Deputy Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs Nezar Patria, Head of the National Research and Innovation Agency Arif Satria, and Deputy Governor of Jakarta Rano Karno.
Minister of Creative Economy Teuku Riefky was accompanied by Secretary to the Minister/Secretary General of the Ministry of Creative Economy Dessy Ruhati, Head of the Bureau of Legal Affairs, Human Resources and Organization M. Nurul Huda, Director for Marketing System Development and Institutional Relations Radi Manggala, and the Minister’s Expert Staff for Strategic Issues Gemintang K. Mallarangeng.
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Head of the Bureau for Communication
Ministry of Creative Economy / Creative Economy Agency
