Synergy of Three Ministries Strengthens MSMEs and Creative Economy through Area Ecosystems

The government is strengthening inter-ministerial synergy to promote community economic empowerment through the micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) sector and area-based creative economy. This step was discussed in a Ministerial Level Meeting (MLM) chaired by Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Muhaimin Iskandar, together with Minister of MSMEs Maman Abdurrahman and Minister of Creative Economy Teuku Riefky Harsya at MBloc Space, Jakarta, on Monday (4/5). The meeting addressed the concrete contributions of the three ministries in supporting the National Priority Work Programme (NPWP), including accelerating poverty alleviation in line with Presidential Instruction No. 8 of 2025. Additionally, the government discussed the development of the 1001 Nights Market programme as a model for creative economy empowerment based on area ecosystems. Muhaimin emphasised that the MSME and creative economy sectors are key to helping communities escape poverty through a sustainable empowerment approach. “The government ensures that MSMEs and the creative economy are an integral part of the National Priority Work Programme. We want every national programme to deliver a tangible domino effect for small business actors and vulnerable communities,” Muhaimin stated. He added that the government is striving to build a competitive, inclusive, and accessible business ecosystem, particularly for middle and vulnerable social groups. Meanwhile, MSME Minister Maman Abdurrahman said the government is focusing on strengthening access to financing, mentorship, and markets for micro-business actors, especially in poverty pockets. “As a follow-up to the mandate of Presidential Instruction No. 8 of 2025, we are focusing on ensuring that MSME entrepreneurs, particularly in poverty pocket areas, gain access to financing, mentorship, and markets,” Maman remarked. Updating the MSME database is being carried out through the integration of DTSEN (National Single Social Economic Data) with the SAPA MSME platform. Through targeted interventions, such as issuing business cards, the People’s Business Credit programme, and PNM financing schemes, MSMEs are expected to grow and become the backbone of the people’s economy. On the other hand, Creative Economy Minister Teuku Riefky Harsya assessed that the creative economy sector has great potential in empowering poor and extremely poor communities. “The creative economy has great potential to empower communities, including those in vulnerable groups. We are encouraging the acceleration of talent and access to financing so that creative economy actors can develop sustainably and become part of the new engine of growth,” said the Creative Economy Minister. In the meeting, the three ministers also highlighted the success of the Blok M area as a real example of developing MSME and creative economy ecosystems. This area is deemed successful in transforming into a community-based economic activity hub supported by transportation connectivity, creative spaces, and dynamic event activities. The choice of the meeting location in the Blok M area also serves as part of an evidence-based policy approach, where policies are formulated based on best practices in the field. Visits and informal dialogues were also conducted with several tenants to gather input from MSME and creative economy actors. With an average of 80,000 visitors per day and an economic turnover of around Rp5 billion per day, Blok M serves as a best practice ready to be replicated in the 1001 Nights programme, an initiative by the Coordinating Ministry for Community Empowerment to utilise idle government and SOE assets to create integrated creative economy and MSME centres. On that occasion, appreciation was also expressed to several managers who have successfully created empowerment ecosystems. Through inter-ministerial synergy and strengthening of area-based ecosystems, the government is optimistic that the MSME and creative economy sectors will increasingly play a role as drivers of the national economy as well as effective instruments in poverty alleviation.