Deputy Minister says entrepreneurship is key to Indonesia's economic progress
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister for Creative Economy Irene Umar is encouraging the growth of an entrepreneurial spirit among young people to drive Indonesia towards becoming an advanced economy and to support the development of a sustainable creative economy ecosystem.
She noted that according to the World Bank, Indonesia needs around 10 to 12 per cent of its population to be entrepreneurs, with at least 4 per cent as a starting point to become a developed nation. Currently, Indonesia’s position is slightly below that figure.
“Entrepreneurship is not just about owning a company; the definition of an entrepreneurial spirit is about having a sense of ownership, responsibility, and doing every job with a clear purpose,” Irene said in a statement received in Jakarta on Monday.
The Ministry of Creative Economy views strengthening entrepreneurship from a young age as a crucial foundation for building a sustainable creative economy ecosystem.
To support the development of entrepreneurial talent in Indonesia, the Ministry is backing the development of creative young talent with an entrepreneurial spirit, as demonstrated at the culmination of the Prestasi Junior Indonesia (PJI) programme. Since 2011, PJI has equipped more than two million young Indonesians with workplace skills, financial literacy, and the ability to build sustainable businesses.
Chairman of the Executive Board of PJI, Pribadi Setiyanto, explained that all PJI programmes are developed through an experiential learning approach that provides participants with direct experience. Additionally, PJI offers opportunities to connect with mentors and volunteers from the business world so that learning remains relevant to the needs of the workforce.
According to Pribadi, the flagship Student Company programme gives senior high school and vocational school students the opportunity to establish and manage their own companies. Through this programme, participants not only learn to develop products but also to build business models, lead teams, manage finances, understand customers, and face real business challenges.
“Over 20 years of implementation in Indonesia, the Student Company programme has reached more than 18,000 students and spawned 845 student businesses. For the 2025–2026 period, the development of participants’ business ideas is focused on four strategic issues: circular economy, healthy lifestyles, climate change, and local heritage,” Pribadi stated.
PJI is part of JA Worldwide, a global non-profit organisation focused on entrepreneurship education. In this year’s event, 45 teams competed until nine top teams were selected at the senior high school and vocational school level. Two of the best teams will represent Indonesia at the Asia Pacific entrepreneurship competition.
Through collaboration with various stakeholders, it is hoped that more young talents will be able to create innovation, generate employment, and develop Indonesia’s intellectual property into value-added and globally competitive products.