T

he government has launched a Website specifically designed for creative industry players providing cyberspace where they can interact with each other and store the industry database.

"This *website* belongs to all of us. The government only plays as a facilitator," Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said during Tuesday press conference.

Mari said the idea of developing the Website, www.indonesiakreatif.net, emerged around two years ago.

The ministry is the leader in the government's creative industry promotion program.

The new website contains materials related to the creative industry, such as news, activities, definitions, creative development centers, development plans and comparisons with other countries, success stories of creative industry players and publications.

The Website developer Enda Nasution said the Website contained profiles of 14 sectors in the creative industry, including animation, handicrafts, software and cinematography, and displayed schedules of community gatherings.

According to the ministry's data, fashion and crafts still dominate the industry, accounting for 46.5 percent and 24.1 percent respectively of total market share.

But the software, interactive games, music, advertising, television and radio, performing arts and architectural sectors also grew at above the average national economic growth between 2002 and 2008.

The data shows the software sector grew by 16.9 percent, interactive games by 13.9 percent, music by 13.4 percent, advertising by 13.4 percent, television and radio by 7.57 percent, performing arts by 7.67 percent and architectural services by 6.4 percent.

According to the data, during these years the whole creative industry, including small and micro entities and households, contributed 7.8 percent annually, or Rp 235 trillion (US$24.91 billion), to the country's gross domestic product.

The government has begun shifting its focus to the creative industry as the negative impacts of the global economic downturn have impacted on different economic sectors in most countries, including Indonesia.

According to the Trade Ministry, the creative industry employs more than 7.4 million workers in total and has proven to be resilient throughout the economic crisis.