Government urged to adopt community-based approach for KBLI socialisation

Economist Ronny P Sasmita from the Indonesia Strategic and Economic Action Institution stated that the government needs to implement a platform-based and community-driven approach to socialise the 2025 Indonesian Standard Industrial Classification (KBLI) for content creators. “The socialisation strategy must be platform-based and community-driven. This means the government needs to enter the ecosystem where creators operate, namely social media, video platforms, and digital marketplaces,” Ronny told ANTARA in Jakarta on Friday. The government, through Statistics Indonesia (BPS), officially launched the KBLI 2025 on 17 December 2025, in which the profession of content creator received explicit legal status as a business activity for the first time. Ronny said that in socialising this matter, the government cannot use conventional approaches such as relying solely on written regulations or formal seminars. This is based on the distinct characteristics of digital creative economy actors, who are spread across all cities in Indonesia, individualistic, and highly dependent on platforms. He stated that if the approach is too administrative and rigid, it will stifle creativity, especially for small and beginner creators. However, if it is not regulated at all, Indonesia will lose potential state revenue, face problems in protecting business actors, and risk a decline in ecosystem quality. “So this must be seen as a transition process, from an informal digital economy towards a more structured ecosystem,” he said. He suggested that the government’s strategy could involve platform-based and community-driven socialisation, engaging key opinion leaders who are trending among creators, and collaborating with major creators and communities as amplifiers. Furthermore, the message conveyed must be simple and practical, not overly emphasising administrative obligations, but rather the direct benefits digital creators can experience by following government policy. Ronny said that a Business Identification Number (NIB) for digital creators in the economic sector offers significant benefits, allowing creators to obtain legal identity as business actors. This policy will also open access to economic development in many areas, such as formal financing from banks, partnerships with major brands that require legality, legal protection in contracts, and access to government programmes. “Going further, this can be an entry point for scaling up. Creators are no longer just individuals dependent on platforms, but can develop into business entities, have teams, diversify income, and even export digital services,” he concluded.