West Java Strengthens Regional Economy Through Culture-Based Development

The West Java Provincial Government has affirmed its direction to strengthen the regional economy through culture-based development as part of a strategy to maintain sustainable growth. Provincial Secretary Herman Suryatman in Sumedang on Tuesday stated that the creative economy and culture are important components to be continuously reinforced through various policy instruments. “A culture-based economy becomes an important foundation. Local cultural philosophy is a key part of the development direction, where the economy not only pursues growth but also maintains social and environmental balance,” he explained. He emphasised that this local cultural philosophy serves as the basis for directing economic development so that it is not only growing, but also inclusive, high-quality, and sustainable. He explained that his administration recently held a cultural parade as a concrete step for cultural preservation and revitalisation to revive a number of cultural objects and spaces in the region. This is important considering that West Java’s economic growth is currently in the range of 5.7 to 5.79 percent, higher than the national average of around 5.61 percent. “Going forward, West Java is targeting more ambitious economic growth in the range of 5.7 to 6 percent through the consolidation and integration of the creative economy and culture in regional development,” he said. This effort to strengthen culture-based economic consolidation is expected to become a development framework that is not only oriented towards growth figures, but also pays attention to social sustainability and the preservation of local values.