VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno encouraged Denpasar City, Bali, to immediately join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) to boost the development of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) which will help create more jobs.

“I encourage the government, creative industry players, and residents to collaborate and innovate in the development of the creative economy sector,” he said here on Sunday.

He made the statement at an event entitled “Wandering Nusantara at Bali Frangipani Palace” attended by MSME and creative economy players in Denpasar City.

He assessed that if Denpasar can join the UCCN, it will have the opportunity to build cooperation with other regions in sustainable city development.

He expressed hope that Denpasar can follow the step of two cities that have represented Indonesia in the creative cities network in 2023, namely Surakarta and Depok.

Earlier, other cities had joined the network, namely Bandung as the City of Design, Ambon as the City of Music, Pekalongan as the City of Art, and Jakarta as the City of Literature.

Uno also hoped Denpasar would decide on its mainstay economic sub-sector as soon as possible to support the city as a creative city.

Apart from that, he also encouraged the creative economy players to improve the quality of their products.

He assessed that the recovery of the tourism sector will affect the opening of markets for creative economy players which will keep people's economy moving.

Meanwhile, Denpasar Regional Secretary Ida Bagus Alit Wiradana said Denpasar City is ready to develop its tourism instruments.

"The Denpasar City Government is ready to collaborate and innovate to continuously support the revival of the tourism and creative economy sectors, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic hit," he remarked.

He expressed optimism that Denpasar's historical aspects and heritage areas, as well as its sister city program with other cities abroad, will become the city's selling points. (Antaranews)