Sade Village Not Yet Registered as Cultural Site, Rp58 Billion Contingency Budget Could Provide Aid

The fire that struck the Sade traditional hamlet in Rembitan Village, Central Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), has drawn the attention of the NTB Regional House of Representatives (DPRD). The cultural area, which has long been one of NTB’s flagship tourism destinations, has apparently not yet been recorded in the National Cultural Data System (Dapobud).

Chairman of Commission II of the NTB DPRD, Lalu Pelita Putra, said that post-fire handling in Sade must not focus solely on rebuilding damaged structures. According to him, the area is part of the cultural heritage of the Sasak people that must be preserved.

“Handling the Sade issue is not merely a matter of physical construction. This is ancestral heritage, cultural heritage of the Sasak people in particular. So I think we must involve all parties in the revitalisation, both central, provincial, and district governments. This is our shared responsibility,” Pelita stressed when met in Mataram on Wednesday (26/8/2026).

Pelita explained that Sade holds deep historical and cultural significance. The Sade traditional village, said the politician from West Praya District, is not just about pillars and thatched roofing; it contains the ancestral cultural heritage of the Sasak people.

Regarding the status of Sade traditional village, which has not yet been included in the Dapobud National Register of Cultural Heritage, Pelita revealed the main obstacle facing the region. Under the regulations, designation of a cultural site requires a recommendation from a certified Cultural Heritage Expert Team (TACB) at the district level.

However, limited human resources and budget for expert training in the regions have stalled the registration of hundreds of cultural sites in NTB.

“The obstacle is that there must be experts in each district. The province already has six experts for site designation, but the requirement is that there must also be experts in each district,” he explained.

Of around 900 cultural sites registered in NTB, only a few have been officially recognised, such as the Dalam Loka Royal Palace in Sumbawa and the Asi Mbojo Palace in Bima. Meanwhile, on Lombok Island, including the Sade traditional hamlet and Mayura Park, most have not yet received official designation due to the shortage of experts.

“We have conveyed this to Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives through the then Deputy Chairman of Commission X, Mr Lalu Hadrian Irfani. Together with the special committee members, we asked the central government to assist with education for graduating these experts. Because the requirement is indeed a minimum of six experts,” he added.

Pelita also highlighted Sade’s position as one of the cultural destinations frequently included in tourism promotion packages, including during the Mandalika MotoGP event. He acknowledged that the Sade fire could potentially affect the tour packages offered to visitors during the MotoGP event. However, he said recovery for affected residents must be the priority.

“The burning of the Sade traditional village does have an impact on the succession of sales packages for MotoGP. But we hope this does not have too great an impact. What is most important today is how to handle the people, post-disaster recovery, trauma healing, and provision of temporary housing,” he said.

The PKB politician from NTB is optimistic that NTB’s tourism sector still has strong appeal ahead of the world motorcycle racing event. In South Lombok alone, besides Sade, there are alternative cultural destinations such as the Ende traditional hamlet in Sengkol Village.

“There are still other packages that can be developed and introduced. I hope this disaster does not overly disrupt the MotoGP event process, but full attention to the Sade disaster must remain a priority,” concluded the politician from Central Lombok.

Separately, the NTB DPRD has highlighted the proposed increase in the Contingency Budget (BTT) allocation in the 2026 Revised Regional Budget. The BTT budget, previously allocated at Rp15 billion, has been proposed to receive an additional Rp43 billion.

Commission III member of the NTB DPRD, Muhammad Aminurlah, known as Maman, assessed that the increase is quite significant. According to him, the size of the addition needs to be rationalised and clarified by the Regional Government Budget Team (TAPD).

“If we look at the previous trend of BTT usage, the value was not that large. Indeed, there are unpredictable things such as the El Niño threat or other emergency situations,” Maman said when met at the NTB DPRD on Wednesday (26/8/2026).

Maman said the additional Rp43 billion brings the total NTB BTT allocation in 2026 to Rp58 billion. The DPRD will seek an explanation from the NTB Governor and TAPD regarding the budget requirement.

“So we must look at the previous trend from Rp15 billion to Rp43 billion. So this year’s total BTT reaches Rp58 billion,” he said.

Maman added that his team had found discrepancies when examining the Regional Government Work Plan (RKPD) against the General Budget Policy and Temporary Budget Ceiling Priorities (KUA-PPAS) document. Therefore, rationalisation of the BTT allocation is crucial.

Nevertheless, Maman said the BTT scheme provides flexibility for the NTB provincial government to respond to various emergency conditions, such as handling the clean water crisis affecting several areas, as well as emergency transition assistance following the massive fire that destroyed 75 traditional houses in Sade.

“It could be possible to use additional aid funds for Sade. They are still in an emergency transition period there. So it is possible. Because the Sade disaster could not have been predicted,” Maman stressed.

The PAN politician from Bima Regency said the BTT budget allocation must also be fully prioritised for communities within the NTB region, including distribution of clean water to drought-affected areas in several parts of NTB.

“Indeed it can be addressed with BTT. However, the main focus must be on our own region first. Whichever NTB areas are most in need, those must be resolved first,” he stressed.