Museums want autonomy to improve services<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The problems museums anywhere in the world face,
\nincluding those in Jakarta, are budget constraints and small
\nnumber of visitors.<\/p>\n
But officials say the problems can be solved if museums are
\ngiven autonomy to manage their own business, including their
\nfinances.<\/p>\n
Museums should no longer be seen as nonprofit bodies,
\naccording Tinia Budiati, a director of the Jakarta History
\nMuseum, more popularly known as Fatahilah Museum on Jl.
\nFatahilah, West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
As museums in Jakarta are classified as nonprofit
\norganizations, Tinia said they could not collect donations from
\nprivate institutions.<\/p>\n
They must rely on funds from the city administration's budget
\nor earn money from selling tickets, the rates of which are also
\nset by the administration. The ticket prices range from Rp 500
\n(about 4 U.S. cents) to Rp 2,000.<\/p>\n
"We have about 5,000 to 6,000 visitors per month. This is not
\nbad. But we can't cover our expenses with our ticket sales or
\nfrom funds from the city administration. But we try to find other
\nways of raising funds, like seeking sponsorships," Tinia said on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
There are a total of 60 museums in the capital, with seven of
\nthem owned and under the tight supervision of the city
\nadministration, including the Jakarta History Museum.<\/p>\n
The other six museums are Wayang (traditional puppet) Museum,
\nArt and Ceramic Museum, Textile Museum, Bahari (ocean) Museum,
\nJoeang '45 (Fighting '45) Museum and Prasasti (epigraph) Museum,
\nall of which, except the Bahari Museum, are located in Central
\nJakarta. The Bahari Museum is located in North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The city administration, according to Tinia, has a series of
\ndetailed and limiting regulations over museum management,
\nincluding employee recruitment, research and even decoration.<\/p>\n
"We, the museum employees, are considered the same as civil
\nservants. We also work on weekends. The regulations even forbid
\nus to decorate the museum differently," she said.<\/p>\n
"We want the decoration to be more appealing to visitors,
\nespecially the younger ones, but the regulations do not allow us
\nto do so."<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, head of the City Museum and Restoration Agency
\nNurhadi Sastrapradja, said his office was currently deliberating
\nthe possibility of granting autonomy to museums.<\/p>\n
"We're just worried that museums won't be able to find regular
\nrevenue. There hasn't been any multinational company willing to
\nfund museums," he said.<\/p>\n
According to Tinia, there had always been some parties,
\nforeign and local, who were willing to fund the museums.<\/p>\n
"I'm very optimistic. But I must admit there are issues such
\nas asset management and ownership that must be discussed for
\nmuseums to become autonomous," she said at a media conference.
\nShe also disclosed a plan to hold a seminar on the Jakarta
\nHistory Museum next week.<\/p>\n
The seminar will be opened by former governor Ali Sadikin, and
\nwill feature a series of speakers such as historical building
\nobserver Adolf Heuken and Mona Lohanda from the National
\nArchives. They will discuss about the old Chinese Jakartans.<\/p>\n
The history of the Jakarta History Museum began on Jan. 25,
\n1707 when Petronella Willemina van Hoorn, daughter of the Dutch
\ngeneral governor Johan van Hoorn, placed the cornerstone of the
\nbuilding.<\/p>\n
The building served many functions, such as City Hall and
\nmilitary headquarters, before the city administration inaugurated
\nit as Jakarta History Museum in 1974.<\/p>\n
With its classical Baroque architecture, the museum has around
\n23,000 collections of historical objects.<\/p>\n
"Our furniture collection is the best in the world," Tinia
\nsaid. (hdn)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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