RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Minister of Creative Economy, Teuku Riefky Harsya, announced that Indonesia’s creative industry delivered strong performance in the first quarter of 2026. The statement was made during a working meeting with Commission VII of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) in Senayan, Jakarta, on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, discussing the ministry’s performance report and first-semester budget realization.

The positive performance was reflected in creative economy investment realization, which reached Rp61.33 trillion, equivalent to 47 percent of the ministry’s 2026 annual target. The figure represents a significant increase compared to Rp43.3 trillion recorded during the same period in 2025.

“As a result, investment increased by 42 percent year-on-year. By subsector, the largest investments remain concentrated in applications, culinary, fashion, crafts, and advertising,” Teuku Riefky said.

In addition to investment growth, the sector also recorded strong export performance. Creative economy exports reached USD7.38 billion in the first quarter of 2026, accounting for 27 percent of the annual target. The largest contributions came from the fashion, craft, and culinary subsectors.

“On a monthly basis, export values showed a consistent upward trend from January through March. In terms of contribution to the national economy, creative economy exports accounted for 11.8 percent of Indonesia’s total non-oil and gas exports in March 2026,” he explained.

During the meeting, Teuku Riefky also highlighted several policy achievements by the Ministry of Creative Economy, including royalty tax incentives for authors, expanded access to intellectual property (IP)-based financing, and the development of the Ekraf Hub program.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Commission VII of the DPR RI Saleh Partaonan Daulay stated that growth in the creative economy has the potential to stimulate other sectors of the economy. He expressed confidence that the sector would continue to expand, especially given Indonesia’s abundance of talented young people with strong creative potential.

“I am convinced that when the creative economy grows and develops, other sectors will follow. What appears small today can become something much bigger tomorrow, especially in the field of technology,” he said.

Commission VII member Nila Yani Hardiyanti also praised the Ministry’s performance, particularly in boosting exports of creative products. However, she encouraged the government to further strengthen the economic value of culture-based intellectual property in a sustainable manner.

“If we succeed in building strong intellectual property, its economic value can continue through licensing, merchandise, games, and other derivative products. Indonesia possesses extraordinary cultural wealth,” she said.