By: Herman Santoso *
In the vice presidential debate, Ma’ruf Amin said that he and Joko Widodo would prepare a cultural endowment fund. This was expressed by Ma’ruf Amin so that culture could be optimal. Vice President Joko Widodo explained that Indonesia as a country will also face 10 years of challenges. According to him, a research body, education reform, and cultural conservation are needed.
On the debate stage, Kiai Ma’ruf used a 10-year diction to provide confirmation of his programs. This is seen as illustrating that if Jokowi – Maufuf wins, then 10 years later all the planned programs will show results.
“In addition to the available budget, we will prepare an enduring cultural fund, so that this culture will develop further along with the endowment of education funds, research endowments, so that culture can develop,” said Ma’ruf Amin in the 2019 vice presidential debate.
According to him, current cultural development has also been carried out through creative economic bodies (BEKRAF). Ma’ruf Amin considered that with the strategy he described, he could optimize the development of culture. In addition, candidate number 01 also focuses on cultural conservation and promoting Indonesian culture abroad. This is so that Indonesian culture can be better known to the outside world.
“We hold cultural festivals in various countries in the world, this is a great dream that God willing, we will also build a kind of opera like the opera in Sydney for exhibitions and shows for our cultures,” said Mufuf.
He also said that the fund was a special allocation of the government to invest in research and culture. For example, the government can allocate IDR 50 trillion for research. Ma’ruf said the value of his investment would continue to be increased so that the results obtained would be even greater.
“The endowment funds are fixed funds that are being rolled out, which later will be used to finance cultural activities. Well, the funds are enduring, the capital continues to be added, the results are used, so that they are non-APBN, “said Mufuf.
The management of a cultural endowment that is planned to begin in 2020 will be carried out by institutions such as the Public Service Agency (BLU) such as the Education Fund Management Agency (LPDP). In this case the Ministry of Education and Culture will work with the Ministry of Finance to realize this. “Now in communication and coordination with the Ministry of Finance. The form of the manager will be like BLU. So it’s like LPDP, “TUTU Director General of Culture of the Ministry of Education and Culture, Hilmar Farid.
Hilmar said the endowment of Rp 5 trillion will be included in the 202 State Budget Draft in October. The funds are then managed by a special BLU for a year. Profit of 6% from the management can be used to finance cultural activities. Hilmar said that the profit could only be used in 2021. However, Hilmar has not revealed the name of the agency that will manage it later. What is certain is that the BLU will stand outside the organizational structure of the Ministry of Education and Culture.
“Because he is a BLU, it will likely be from the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Finance. There are also communities and communities, “Hilmar said.
The Ministry of Finance, with its various competencies, will take care of the formation of BLU specifically for the management of endowment cultural funds. Meanwhile the Ministry of Education and Culture contributes to the use of the proceeds of management in the coming 2021. He also explained that the management of enduring cultural funds is a way of the country to advance its culture. He also denied that the presumption of this cultural endowment initiative emerged to accommodate the interests of certain groups.
Cultural endowments are expected to be very useful for communities that have been constrained to find funding because of the limited special allocation of culture provided.
“Funds for the allocation of culture now are still limited to the procurement of art tools in schools, museums and operational assistance for cultural parks,” Hilmar said.
Plans for enduring cultural funds are certainly expected to be of great benefit. That way, the government will be able to facilitate more funding in terms of activities related to cultural preservation. So that the cultural sector in Indonesia will become more advanced.
- The author is an observer of socio-cultural problems
