Ministry of Creative Economy Highlights Case of Village Profile Video Procurement Involving Amsal Sitepu
The Ministry of Creative Economy (Kemenkraf) has given serious attention to the case of village profile video procurement in Karo Regency involving Amsal Sitepu. The government has affirmed that it continues to respect the ongoing legal process.
In a statement on its X account @ekraf_ri, Kemenkraf conveyed its stance of respecting the legal proceedings at Medan District Court, while upholding the principle of presumption of innocence.
“The Ministry of Creative Economy is seriously examining the case of village profile video procurement in Karo Regency that has affected Mr Amsal Sitepu,” it stated on Monday (30/3).
“The Ministry of Creative Economy respects the ongoing legal process at Medan District Court while upholding the principle of presumption of innocence.”
Kemenkraf also highlighted that creative service procurement has different characteristics compared to general goods procurement, thus requiring a specific evaluation approach.
“Creative service procurement has different characteristics compared to goods procurement. The reasonableness of the Estimated Own Price (HPS) for Creative Services must be conducted objectively and based on an understanding of the creative industry.”
As an effort to maintain the creative industry ecosystem, Kemenkraf is opening channels for dialogue for creative economy actors to express aspirations or complaints.
“The Ministry of Creative Economy is ready to facilitate dialogue spaces for all creative economy enthusiasts in resolving creative ecosystem issues through public services (information requests and complaints) on the channel ppid.ekraf.go.id.”
In addition, Kemenkraf is currently preparing special guidelines related to creative services involving various stakeholders, including associations and communities, to prevent similar cases in the future.
Amsal was demanded a two-year prison sentence on 20 February. In the prosecutor’s indictment, Amsal was deemed to have carried out mark-up or inflation of funds after setting the budget amount at Rp30 million for the village profile series. Those funds came from the village fund budget.
However, according to the prosecutor, that amount did not match the planned budget cost (RAB).
Amsal’s project was deemed to violate Minister of Home Affairs Regulation Number 20 of 2018 on Village Financial Management, Article 2 paragraph (1), which states that village finances are managed based on the principles of transparency, accountability, participation, and carried out in an orderly and disciplined budgetary manner.
Recent audit results indicate state financial losses due to the alleged calculation of state financial losses amounting to Rp202,161,980.
The case is currently still in the trial process and will continue with the verdict agenda scheduled for 1 April 2026.