Jakarta. Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto plans to establish an endowment fund aimed at better preserving Indonesia’s culture if he wins the election, but he is not sure how much state money will be allocated to this program. It has not been disclosed.
Prabowo announced the plan Sunday night when he took the stage at his final debate in Jakarta. Panelists had previously asked Prabowo for his thoughts on how commercialization and government intervention have distorted Indonesia’s cultural sector. Prabowo said the endowment will focus on supporting what he calls “cultural practitioners,” which typically include artists and performers.
“If we are not proud of our culture, respect it and preserve it, we will lose our identity as a nation. …We support cultural workers from all walks of life. We are planning to establish an endowment fund to do so,” Prabowo said.
Prabowo did not go into details about the endowment fund. However, he went on to list Indonesian culture that needs to be preserved, such as traditional shadow puppetry. wayangIndonesian martial arts pencak silatetc.
Rival Ganjar Pranowo then commented on Prabowo’s statement, saying that what the government needed to do was simply encourage artists’ expression. Candidate Anies Baswedan has announced plans to establish a culture ministry if she becomes president. Currently, Indonesia has one ministry focused on addressing issues related to education, research, and culture simultaneously.
“Their comments make sense. I can accept them. We must provide space for initiative, innovation and creativity, but what is clear is that governments It means that we should not hesitate to protect the cultural heritage, museums and palaces of the Sultanate, many of which are on the verge of collapse. These palaces are our cultural and historical heritage.” said Prabowo.
“I agree. [on the cultural ministry]. I’ll think about it when I become president. Wherever a good proposal comes from, I will accept it,” Prabowo said.
In his manifesto, Prabowo mentioned an endowment fund for the cultural sector. According to the manifesto, he intends to increase government spending on research and preservation of cultural heritage, including through the establishment of an endowment fund. The document outlines plans to breathe new life into cultural sites and old buildings to help young Indonesians better learn about the country’s traditional values.
Currently, Indonesia already has an endowment fund, although it focuses on education. The fund, known as LPDP, has provided scholarships to many Indonesians to study abroad. Funding for the LPDP comes primarily from the national budget, but there are also other sources such as investment income, research, and patent royalties. LPDP funding amounted to approximately 139 trillion rupiah (approximately $8.8 billion).
A while ago, the government also announced that it would launch an endowment fund to promote tourism later this year. The first phase of the tourism fund will be financed entirely from the national budget. The government plans to put the LPDP, the agency that manages education funds, in charge of tourism funds.
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