Gov’t to Formulate Micro Policies on Culture

Photo caption: President Jokowi talks to reporters after meeting with Indonesia’s culture experts at the National Gallery, Jakarta (23/8). (Photo by: Public Relations Division/Jay)

President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo on Tuesday (23/8) at the National Gallery, Jakarta, met with a number of Indonesian culture experts to talk about the development of Indonesian cultures.

According to the President, during the 2-hour dialog with the experts, he received many inputs about the process of promoting Indonesian cultures.

“We often talk about the issue of ‘hard infrastructures’ such as roads, bridges, seaports, but we never talk about soft infrastructure, that is culture,” the President said.

“Anything must be balanced. There should also be a balance between hard infrastructure and soft infrastructure. This is one of the things that I discussed with those culture experts,” the President added.

“I also asked for their inputs so we know the direction of our policies on cultural issues because we have to start it. We must not only talk about economic or political issues but we forget that there are cultural issues that we have to pay attention to,” the President added.

President Jokowi also hopes that Indonesia will have a macro policy on cultural issues, for example, on the efforts to rejuvenate Indonesia’s literature, restoring Indonesia’s cultural diplomacy, building cultural centers, not only in big cities but also in villages.

On that occasion, President Jokowi also admitted that in some places in the country, it is impossible for the people to do cultural expression well and according to the President it happens because there are not cultural infrastructures in those places.

“This is one of the things we are planning – to building cultural centers,” the President concluded.

Culture experts attending the dialog were, among others, RadharPanca Dahana, Edi Sedyawati, Sri Edi Swasono, Jim Supangkat, IshakNgeljaratan, Arswendo Atmowiloto, Frans Magnis Suseno, Sutanto Mendut, Jean Couteau, Toety Herati, Al Azhar, Tatang Ramadhan Bouqie, EdyUtama, Teuku Kemak Fasya, Garin Nugroho, Sys Ns, Djadoeg Ferianto, Nasirun, Ahmad Tohari, Butet Kertaredjasa, Sardono Waluyo Kusumo, Ong Zamzam Noer, Mukhamad Khasan, Ita Siregar, Edi Bachroelhadi, Krisniati Marchelina, Bambang Pribadi, and Sri Warso. (FID/ES)(EP/YM/Naster)