Government Simplifies Indonesiaraya Fund Disbursement

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, emphasised the importance of strengthening the mentoring system and simplifying the administrative mechanism of the Indonesiaraya Fund so that it can reach more cultural actors, art communities, studios, and Indigenous peoples across Indonesia. In a Jakarta-confirmed statement on Friday, the Minister of Culture assessed that criticisms of bureaucratic complexity in last year’s implementation should be used as a basis for joint evaluation. “We want to simplify the process without reducing the principles of transparency and accountability,” the minister said. The Balai and the Kantor Pelestarian Kebudayaan should be actively involved in the mentoring process for recipients, including the needs of cultural communities and the obstacles faced by artists in their regions. The Ministry of Culture is currently preparing a mentoring service centre, supported by human resources with substantive culture competencies, to assist cultural communities in submitting applications, reporting, and managing the Indonesiaraya Fund programme. He noted that developing the cultural economy is important amid the dynamic global geopolitical situation so that cultural and economic activities continue to move. “The regional cultural economy must stay alive. Cultural activities can help maintain social stability while directly driving the community’s economy,” the Minister explained. In addition to Indonesiaraya Fund, the meeting also discussed developing the LPDP scholarship programme in the cultural field, including mapping relevant study programmes and universities to support strengthening Indonesia’s cultural sector. The Culture Minister hopes that future recipients of cultural scholarships will become ambassadors of Indonesia’s culture who actively contribute to international cultural diplomacy. LPDP’s Director of Finance and General Affairs, Albertus Kurniadi H, said that LPDP is committed to continuing to strengthen the governance of the Cultural Endowment Fund so that the disbursement of the Indonesiaraya Fund can run more effectively, targeted, and easily accessible to cultural actors across Indonesia. According to him, synergy between LPDP and the Ministry of Culture is the key to building a professional yet field-responsive mechanism for cultural funding. “The number of recipients benefiting from the Cultural Endowment Fund has risen sharply from the previous year, and this provides us with motivation to perform our duties well,” Kurniadi concluded.