Creative Economy Minister Teuku Riefky Relaunches AMANAH in Aceh, Promoting Downstreaming of the Creative Industry

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Creative Economy Minister Teuku Riefky Harsya officially relaunched the AMANAH (Aneuk Muda Aceh Unggul dan Hebat) programme in Aceh on Thursday (23/4). The programme is projected to serve as a new engine for regional economic growth through the development of human resources (HR) and the downstreaming of the creative sector.

Teuku Riefky stated that strengthening the creative economy is part of President Prabowo Subianto’s Asta Cita vision in creating skill-based employment opportunities.

“The creative industry is a strategic sector capable of generating quality jobs. The presence of AMANAH in Aceh is expected to serve as a platform for enhancing the capacity and quality of local creative HR,” said Teuku Riefky in his statement.

Furthermore, the Minister emphasised the importance of downstreaming in the creative sector. Local products such as fashion, perfumes, films, and digital applications are being encouraged to be developed to achieve high added value and compete with foreign products in the global market.

“Our target is clear: to position Indonesia, including Aceh, as a major player in the global creative industry, built on the foundation of our cultural wealth,” he added.

Nevertheless, Riefky acknowledged challenges such as limited data, access to financing, infrastructure, and protection of intellectual property. To address this, the government is promoting multi-stakeholder collaboration involving academics from Syiah Kuala University, the business world, and financial institutions.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the AMANAH Foundation, Dr. Saifullah Muhammad, views this momentum as crucial for consolidating the role of Acehnese youth. He warned that Aceh’s great potential should be managed independently to avoid exploitation by external parties.

“The existing facilities must become spaces for growing creativity. We also encourage strengthening the ecosystem in terms of distribution and marketing, as well as sustainable credit mentoring for MSMEs,” explained Saifullah.

Through this programme, AMANAH is expected to function as a hub for incubating ideas and business development that can increase investment and promote exports of creative products from Aceh.