The Benefits of Creative Economy to Society

Nowadays, Indonesia is facing conditions that require people to grow more quickly and accurately, which is to face the MEA (Masyarakat Ekonomi ASEAN). Indonesia, of course, hope can get benefit from the implementation of MEA (Lukman Hakim, 2016). One of the factors that can get the great opportunities in MEA is a creative economy. The definition of creative economy is economic activity on creative ideas to the application of these ideas to produce original works of art, cultural products, and technological innovation that has commercial value (Suryana, 2013, p 35). To realize these opportunities in Indonesia, on January 20, 2015, through the Peraturan Presiden Republik Indonesia Number 6 The year 2015  about Badan Ekonomi Kreatif, President Joko Widodo formed a new non-ministerial agency called Badan Ekonomi Kreatif (Bekraf) (Bekraf, 2015). The agency is responsible for the development of the creative economy in Indonesia. Creative Economy has many benefits that can be felt by the society, like promoting human’s creativity, expanding job opportunities and increasing economic growth.

Creative economy can increase human's creativity because creative economy coming from human creativity are infinite. The outcome of creative economy can also be increased and unlimited by time and place, especially if there is a facility to realize the creativity. The creativity can produce something new and have values. In creative economy, the manner is not only think and talk, but also must do and create something new and different (Suryana, 2013, p 23). We can see this concept in the film industry. No wonder if film industry can make a contribution to GDP.   In 2015, creative economy increase         by 7% of national GDP, which amounted to Rp 641.8 trillion (bem s1 fe unpad, June 1 2016).  So, with the development               of the creative economy, people can more generate their creative ideas.

The next benefit after developing creative ideas, the creative economy can increase job opportunities. The increase of employment needs a broad market, with the creative economy will directly expand the market. In fact, the creative economy has a wide range of industries, such as food, textile, furniture, handicrafts, etc., with so many jobs the industry will be more comprehensive and reduce unemployment. Creative industry is considered to able to absorb the 11.8 million workers, or 10.7 percent of the national workforce in 2015 (bem s1 fe unpad, June 1 2016). So, because the creative economy isn’t dependent on natural resources and more focus on human resources, the market that is created for jobs is also more extensive.

After its impact on job opportunities, the creative economy automatically will affect in economic growth. As described in the previous paragraph, so many creative industries that influence economic growth, as the data below :

Table Creative Economy Development Of Various Sectors Of The Year 2011-2015
No.
Sectors in Creative Economy
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
1
Food and Beverage Industry
5,24%
5,31%
5,14%
5,32%
5,61%
3
Textile and Garment
1,38%
1,35%
1,36%
1,32%
1,21%
4
Leather industry
0,28%
0,25%
0,26%
0,27%
0,27%
5
Wood industry
0,76%
0,70%
0,70%
0,72%
0,67%
6
Furniture industry
0,28%
0,26%
0,26%
0,27%
0,27%
7
Export Crafts
–
15.54%
17.77%
20.18%
21.72%
8
Fashion and Crafts

44,3%
24,8 %
–
–
9
Advertising industry
15%
20%
–
–
–

Source: BPS, Pusdatin Kemenperin (http://agribisnis.co.id/industri-kreatif/)

Based on the data, we can see that economic growth in the food sector, exports of crafts and advertising industry is growing every year, and for the other sectors are still not very developed and we hope the governments could increase the potential of the other sectors, because it can  develop faster economic growth. So, the creative economy can create jobs and fight against poverty along with economic growth.

Creative Economy has many obstacles in their development. However, President Joko Widodo was optimistic that the creative economy would become the foundation of Indonesia's economy. The supports of government is realised on the establishment of BEKRAF  in 2015. Different from other sectors that are highly dependent on the exploitation of natural resources, the strength of the creative economy is dependant on the benefits of human resources like art, architecture, books, technology innovation, and animation, comes from the creative ideas of human thought. (Bekraf, 2015). So, with the many benefits that we get from the development of creative industries, our task as the younger generation, is the support of all the government's efforts to develop the creative industries to continue to work and develop creativity, and we can play a role in the economic development of Indonesia.

References      :

(2015). BEKRAF Badan Ekonomi Kreatif Indonesia Tonggak Baru Ekonomi Kreatif Indonesia[web log post].Retrieved from http://www.bekraf.go.id/profil