INDONESIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY-CHINA COMMITTEE SHIFTED INVESTMENT TO CREATIVE ECONOMY SECTOR

Indonesian Climber of Commerce and Industry - China Committee (KIKT) has started to shift bilateral trade and investment cooperation between both countries to creative economy sector. Yet, however, KIKT is still co-facilitating China’s investment in other sectors, including mining, forestry, oil & gas, and other sectors. “We see that preliminary in­vestment in creative economy sector is inexpensive. Therefore, we urged Chinese investors to build cre­ative economy industry in Indonesia, particularly films and computer games”, Adi Harsono, Vice Chairman of KIKT, told Business News (11 /19).

China relies on Indonesia’s natural resources in trade and investment cooperation. Commodities, like asphalt, oil, gas, coal, minerals, and forestry products are favorite commodities. But, KIKT should find a strategy so that the investment value is not too high and more reasonable. The film titled “Eat, Pray, and Love, which shooting took place in Bali, has been going global. This is en example of creative economy industry.  We wish that China will also make an in­vestment in the film industry.”

The Indonesian government has supported many Creative economy activitie,. and has been in­creasingly lured by the success of South Korea. The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy accommo­dated animation and film industry. “Chinese investors also consider that investment in the culinary sector is very promising. There are many restaurants serv­ing Chinese dishes which are liked by foreign tourists visiting Jakarta.”

The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy planned to provide low import duty facility. Devel­opment and competitiveness of national film industry still needs imported film production equipment from overseas. So, with low import duty, film production equipment will help creative economy community. “The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy has formulated sixteen creative industry sectors, includ­ing printing industry in the form of reading materials, comics, animation, and other.”

The government has conducted an in-depth study on creative industry since 2007. This is the time when President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) group visited creative economy ac­tivities in Korea. Presentation of the Korean Knowl­edge Minister at that time urged President SBY to formulate creative economy of Indonesian version. Korea’s creative industry cannot be released from the awareness and the nationalism attitude of the Korean people on their nation and country. So, when an eco­nomic crisis hit Korea around 1998. Korea’s economy almost reached a lowest point. But, the Korean people immediately moved by contributing jewelry and mon­ey to Korean banks so that the banks were able to maintain economic activities in Korea. “Korea’s econ­omy almost collapsed. But, the banks, with contribu­tion support from the Korean people, have helped the country. Then, they thought about creating an indus­try that does not spend much of state finances. Their government collected the best event organizers and arranged various kinds of creative economy shows, including film industry, musical entertainment, and television drama. So, Korea has started developing creative industry since 1998.”

A French expatriate, Christophe Dorigne Thomson, considers that Jakarta as the capital city of Indonesia is potential to become a big city in the world. Jakarta, like other cities in the world, relies on services sector in accelerating its economy. “Paris is renowned and is familiar not because of the work of the French citizens. But, it is also the perception of foreign people that see the beauty of Paris and promote it from mouth to mouth. SO, there is an increasing number of tourists visiting France. Jakarta could become a big city like Paris, and maybe it is through novels”, Christophe, a novel write titled “Jakarta”, told Business News (11/19).

The novel titled “Jakarta” does not tell about the negative side of Jakarta. On the contrary, it tells about the positive side that describes Jakarta as a big city. The novel tells about a man named Edwin who works as a hired murderer. Edwin who was a gradu­ate of an elite school in France received many job offers. But, due to the tragedy that hit his younger brother, Edwin changed his perception. In the midst of his confusion, he met John who offered him an improper job as a hired murderer. “The figure Edwin is a half fiction figure and half my own experience.”

To Chris, the novel could become a most ef­fective tool to various ideas for many people. The idea was mainly intended to describe the other side of Jakarta. Even though Edwin has traveled to some big cities in the world, like China, India, Japan, Middle East, and Europe, but his long journey ended in Ja­karta. “I see that Edwin’s travel around the world is to describe Jakarta as a new world’s centre in the future.”

The novel with a cover picturing a Durian Weapon getting into a globe is the Chris’ first mas­terpiece. He admitted that he knew Jakarta from In­donesian people living in Paris. Then, he actively in­teracted through the social media, including Twitter and Facebook. “Westerners nicknamed Jakarta the Big Durian”.