Minister urges creative industry communities to form cooperatives to support production

Cooperatives Minister Ferry Juliantono has invited communities working in the creative industry, such as content creators, animators and illustrators, to form cooperatives so they can quickly obtain initial capital to support production.

Speaking at the Malang Creative Connect Conference at the Kartini Imperial Building in Malang, East Java, on Friday, Ferry said that capital for producing works is usually only obtained by creative industry practitioners once they have secured a contract from a production house interested in the content produced by creators, animators and illustrators.

“It will be different if content creators, illustrators and animators form a cooperative, as they can be financed directly. Because the people’s problem now is how to obtain money before getting a contract,” said Ferry.

Ferry stressed that once a cooperative is established as a legal entity, he, together with relevant agencies and the Indonesian Cooperative Council (Dekopin), is ready to provide various interventions, ranging from incubation to mentoring for business unit development.

The same applies to micro, small and medium enterprise communities that have formed cooperatives.

He reminded all regional heads, particularly in Malang City and Malang Regency, to help promote this concept to every community in their respective areas.

“Malang City and Malang Regency should be able to transform UMKM, creative economy, tourism and cultural activities by forming cooperatives,” he said.

On that occasion, he said he had proposed to the Ministry for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers that cooperatives be formed for prospective Indonesian migrant workers.

Through such cooperatives, every prospective migrant worker could gain access to capital to cover preparations before departure, such as processing documents, living costs and training.

“I proposed to the Ministry of Migrant Workers to form cooperatives. Once a migrant worker cooperative is established, living costs, training and document processing can be financed. Later, once they obtain a contract from the destination country, it can be settled,” he said.