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Start Now on How to Set Up a Publishing Business in Indonesia

Considering the population that is almost tenfold in comparison to most of the countries in South East Asia, starting a publishing company in Indonesia can be lucrative and highly profitable. A massive chunk of this population is made up of people who are 24 years old and below, which means that the majority of Indonesians are students who are continually requiring published material to aid their studies. The publishing industry in Indonesia manages to generate revenue at a staggering amount of USD 466 million annually; for this reason alone, Indonesia should be on the list of the country for you to start a publishing company. That said, this article will guide you on how to set up a publishing business in Indonesia.

Why and How to Set Up a Publishing Business in Indonesia?

Publishing is one of the economic sectors that rapidly developing in Indonesia that attracted various investors to venture in. Aside from the general publishing business that offers physical printings, Indonesia is recording a substantial demand for digital materials in parallel with technology advancement that stimulated the growth of e-publishing business in the country. Now is the perfect opportunity for you to invest in your own publishing company in Indonesia!

Although there is an amassing amount of platforms that allows writers to publish their works independently nowadays, this should not deter you from setting up your own company. Having an established company will enable you to offer assurance to the writers who subscribed to your service that couldn’t be obtained through the method of self-publishing. Some of the advantages are:

Conveys professionalism and expertise
Protects yourself, your work, and your assets in case of a lawsuit
Management of your intellectual property
Tax write-offs benefits
The legal entity to properly contract to co-write and to license
Future opportunities to publish books by other authors
Relevant authorities in a publishing company in Indonesia

Good news is that the establishment of a publishing company in Indonesia is open to anyone, including both local and foreign business owners. Should you be based outside of Indonesia, the first step is to obtain permission from the Indonesian Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) as they are the government-appointed body that oversees all business activity in Indonesia. Besides, the local publishing businesses are also under the jurisdictions of The International Publishers Association and the National Press Council. Both authorities are in charge of the industry’s law and regulations, especially in safeguarding the freedom of the press in Indonesia.

Procedure on How to Register a Publishing Company in Indonesia

The following steps sum up the procedure for business owners to register their own publishing company in Indonesia:

Obtain permission from the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM).
Apply for a business license.
Acquire a registration certificate.
Gather all required licenses and certificates as official approval for the institution.
Register with the National Press Council.
Deposit compulsory share capital amount into a corporate bank account under the name of the business owner.
Obtain and fill up the company incorporation form.
Submit company incorporation form along with required documents and licenses.
Decide on the type of published materials the company will be focusing on, ranging from newspapers, magazines, journals, books, manuals, and others.
For a digital publishing company, the material published can be in the form of electronic, online media content, and CDs.
Perform a regular assessment on the legal requirements to ensure compliance once the business is up and running.

So, What Are You Waiting for?

With the emergence of new writers and interests daily, it is safe to assume that there won’t be any lack of demand for printed or digital material in Indonesia. Serving as one of the biggest cultural melting pots in South East Asia, materials regardless of the language it is printed in, shares equal chances to strive just as much as those that are published in the Indonesian language.