Jakarta, 2 March, 2026 – The Minister of Creative Economy/Head of the Creative Economy Agency, Teuku Riefky Harsya, discussed strengthening the role of villages as the foundation for national creative economy development with the Central Executive Board of the All-Indonesia Village Government Association (DPP APDESI) Merah Putih. This occasion also served as an introduction of the APDESI management and an initial exploration of program synergies between the Ministry of Creative Economy and village administrations.
The Minister of Creative Economy, Teuku Riefky Harsya, received an audience with the Central Executive Board of the All-Indonesia Village Government Association (APDESI) Merah Putih at the Office of the Ministry of Creative Economy, Jakarta, on Monday (2/3/2026).
“Creative economy, which we refer to as the new engine of growth for the national economy, begins in the regions. We expect the creative economy to be downstreamed, as its benefits must start from the villages. There are numerous local products that require our support so they can generate added value and enhance competitiveness,” said Minister of Creative Economy Teuku Riefky during the audience held at the Office of the Ministry of Creative Economy, Jakarta, on Monday, March 2, 2026.
The Ministry of Creative Economy views villages as having significant potential in developing creative products rooted in local wisdom that can improve community welfare. To this end, the Ministry of Creative Economy continues to strengthen coordination with the Ministry of Villages, the Ministry of Cooperatives, and regional governments to ensure that creative economy development is integrated and sustainable.
Minister of Creative Economy Teuku Riefky further explained that downstreaming is key to enabling village creative products to penetrate broader markets. Through the enhancement of quality, design, packaging, and marketing, local products are expected to compete at both national and global levels.
To address these various challenges, the Ministry of Creative Economy expressed its readiness to collaborate with APDESI in handling product standardization, quality improvement, facilitation of intellectual property certification, as well as assistance in accessing financing through the Creative Economy People’s Business Credit (KUR Ekraf).
Documentation: Bureau for Communication of the Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency.
“We are ready to collaborate with APDESI in the Quick Win program through affiliate training at Koperasi Desa Merah Putih. With an estimated 80,000 cooperatives, this initiative could generate 80,000 new jobs. We view this collaboration as highly strategic,” he stated.
APDESI Merah Putih, as a legally established professional organization, serves as a forum for village heads and village officials throughout Indonesia. The organization plays a role in voicing aspirations, enhancing the capacity of village apparatus, and strengthening community-based development collaboration.
“Our core networking potential lies within village governments. In Indonesia, there are 75,265 villages across 37 provinces and 416 regencies. This position is highly strategic when creative economy programs can be jointly adopted with village governments,” he stated.
The Chairperson of the Central Executive Board of APDESI Merah Putih, Asep Anwar Sadat, conveyed that APDESI’s membership includes village heads, village officials, and village consultative bodies. He added that APDESI is ready to stand at the forefront in supporting the programs of the Ministry of Creative Economy.
Documentation: Bureau for Communication of the Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency.
“We are ready to provide support because the creative economy largely grows in villages. Nearly 70 percent of Indonesia’s population resides in rural areas. Therefore, it is highly strategic for us to jointly oversee the development of the creative economy toward improving the welfare of rural communities,” he concluded.
The Ministry of Creative Economy hopes that this synergy will accelerate the strengthening of the village creative economy as a pillar of inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
The audience was also attended by APDESI Secretary General Uhadi, Deputy Secretary General Endang Kusnandar, Chair of OKK AMP Bambang Heriyanto, Deputy Treasurer General Maretha, as well as members of the Central Executive Board of AMP.
Meanwhile, Minister of Creative Economy Teuku Riefky was accompanied by Deputy for Strategic Development of the Creative Economy Cecep Rukendi, Special Staff to the Minister Rian Firmansyah, and Director of Infrastructure Facilitation Fahmy Akmal.
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Head of Bureau for Communication
Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency
