Ministry of Culture Partners with Danantara to Strengthen Cultural Advancement Ecosystem

The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia has officially established a strategic collaboration with the Daya Anagata Nusantara Investment Management Agency (BPI Danantara). The move was marked by the signing of an official Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) entitled ‘Strengthening the Cultural Advancement Ecosystem’, held at the Ministry of Culture office in Jakarta.

The signing was carried out by the Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, on behalf of the Ministry of Culture, together with the Head of the BPI Danantara Executive Board, Rosan Perkasa Roeslani, on behalf of BPI Danantara.

The cooperation is intended to serve as a shared foundation and guideline for building a mutually beneficial working relationship in accordance with the duties, functions and authorities of each party. The collaboration aims to strengthen the synergy between the two institutions in the conduct of governmental affairs in the cultural field, as well as within the corridor of state-owned enterprise (SOE) management.

Under the terms of the agreement, the scope of implementation is not limited to the parent entity, but also covers SOEs and any parties or companies under the direct or indirect control of BPI Danantara (Affiliates).

In his remarks, Minister of Culture Fadli Zon expressed appreciation to Danantara for the cooperation, which he deemed highly strategic for the advancement of Indonesian culture. According to him, this is in accordance with the constitutional mandate, as stipulated in Article 32 paragraph (1) of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, and reinforced by Law Number 5 of 2017 on Cultural Advancement.

Fadli Zon emphasised that the MoU signed today is not merely an MoU, because even before the agreement, cooperation between the two institutions had already been established — namely Danantara’s support for the revitalisation of the National Museum after the fire, the construction of the National Museum library, and support for Indonesia’s participation in the Venice Biennale after a seven-year absence.

“So we hope for support from all sectors for cultural advancement. In the near future we hope to establish at least three museums through the utilisation of assets owned by Danantara, namely the Indonesian Film Museum in Jakarta, the Indonesian Music Museum in Bandung, and the Indonesian Photography Museum in Semarang,” Fadli Zon said in a written statement on Monday (13 July 2026).

Fadli Zon also noted that Indonesia currently has around 516 museums. However, he said, museums that meet international standards remain very limited, so the quality of regional museums needs to be improved so they can become cultural destinations while supporting the tourism sector.

“In addition, the Ministry of Culture continues to accelerate the designation of national cultural heritage sites and the registration of intangible cultural heritage as part of efforts to protect as well as develop the cultural economy. Indonesia currently has 2,727 items of intangible cultural heritage. Around 20 per cent of these are culinary traditions and local food with great potential as sources of cultural economy,” he explained.

“I am confident that today is a very strategic step, especially since the CEO of Danantara also serves as Chair of the Danantara Trust. We must promote Indonesian culture in accordance with the constitutional mandate so that it is truly present in the midst of world civilisation,” he said.

Minister of Investment and Downstream Industries/Head of BKPM and CEO of Danantara Indonesia, Rosan Perkasa Roeslani, also said on this occasion that culture is one of the nation’s strategic assets that must be protected and developed together. Therefore, he said, Danantara views the cooperation with the Ministry of Culture as an important step in supporting the advancement of Indonesian culture.

“The memorandum of understanding signed with the Ministry of Culture today will not stop as a mere administrative document, but will be realised in various concrete programmes through the collaboration of the two institutions,” he said.

The MoU is agreed to remain valid for five years from the date of signing, with a scope of cooperation covering: synchronisation of programmes and support for the duties and functions of both parties; protection, development and utilisation in the cultural field with social and economic benefits; the development of national and international partnerships in culture; the development of human resources in related sectors; the digitalisation of culture and the use of technology in cultural advancement; and data integration — the provision, utilisation and exchange of data and/or information in accordance with prevailing laws and regulations.

As a follow-up to the MoU, both parties will regulate the technical implementation in greater detail through a Cooperation Agreement (PKS) and/or other official documents.

Those present at the event included Deputy Minister of Culture Giring Ganesha Djumaryo; Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture Bambang Wibawarta; Inspector General of the Ministry of Culture Fryda Lucyana; Director General of Cultural Diplomacy, Promotion and Cooperation Endah T.D. Retnoastuti; Director General of Cultural Protection and Traditions Restu Gunawan; Director General of Cultural Development, Utilisation and Guidance Ahmad Mahendra; Managing Director of Stakeholder Management Rohan Hafas; Managing Director of Global Relations & Communication Pahala Nugraha Mansury; and officials of the Ministry of Culture.