Audit Valuing "Zero Rupiah" Components Questioned, Kemenko PM Warns of Impact on Creative Economy

JAKARTA — The Ministry of Coordinating for Community Empowerment has highlighted the practice of audits that value certain components of creative services at zero rupiah. This valuation has emerged in a legal case ensnaring videographer Amsal Christy Sitepu.

The government views this approach as posing risks to the sustainability of the creative industry, particularly in projects involving public budgets.

The Deputy for Coordinating the Empowerment of the Community Economy and Protection of Migrant Workers at Kemenko PM, Leontinus Alpha Edison, stated that valuing aspects such as concepts, editing, and voice filling at zero rupiah does not reflect the cost structure in the creative sector.

He emphasised that the post-production stage is the primary source of added value in visual products.

“Nullifying the cost of such services is tantamount to not recognising the dignity of the creative profession itself,” said Leontinus in an official statement on Monday (30/3/2026).

“The corruption charges levelled against Mr Amsal, merely due to differing perceptions of professional service values, constitute a form of criminalisation that can kill innovation at the grassroots level,” he added.

This case also spotlights the position of creative practitioners in the procurement chain. Leontinus stressed that Amsal acted as a service provider, not a budget decision-maker.

“Amsal is merely a professional service provider who submitted a transparent proposal according to his competence. It should be noted that he is not the budget authority holder with the power to determine the ceiling of state funds,” he said.

Kemenko PM assesses that audit practices failing to consider the characteristics of creative work could disrupt relations between the government and industry players. Legal risks are deemed to increase when valuation parameters do not align with market practices.

“If a creative worker can be imprisoned merely because of rigid bureaucratic procedures in assessing aesthetic aspects, this will destroy public trust in collaborations between the government and the creative community,” he stated.

Kemenko PM also noted the House of Representatives’ attention to this case. The government views this support as crucial for maintaining business certainty, especially as the creative economy’s contributions continue to rise in the national economy.