Deputy Speaker of MPR encourages active role of cultural sector in development through data

Encouraging active participation from the public and cultural actors in the development process is vital for strengthening the cultural foundation of society. Jakarta (ANTARA) - Deputy Chair of the MPR RI Lestari Moerdijat is pushing for the active role of the cultural sector in national development through an accurate cultural database. “Encouraging active participation from the public and cultural actors in the development process is very important for strengthening society’s cultural foundation. Accurate cultural data is essential as a basis for implementing appropriate policies in the future,” said Rerie, her familiar nickname, in a statement in Jakarta on Sunday. She stated that since 2025, the Ministry of Culture, together with the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), has established a strategic cooperation through a memorandum of understanding on the provision, utilisation, and development of cultural statistics data. By 2026, the number of national-level cultural heritage sites has surged to 85 compared to previous records, bringing the total national cultural heritage sites to 313, while intangible cultural heritage has reached 2,727 entities. Nevertheless, she reminded that providing accurate data will not be meaningful without active participation from the public and cultural actors. She also encouraged efforts to digitalise cultural heritage as a concrete step in building a data ecosystem that can be accessed by the public. She hopes that through accurate cultural sector data, future policies will be able to produce sustainable cultural development that impacts the wider society.